Breaking Even

The first track that came through my speakers was the album’s debut single, “Fast and Free”. Currently sitting at #80 on the Texas Regional Radio Report, the song is fun, fast-paced and gives the listener a sense of adventure. It describes the joys of being carefree as a kid: forts, pennies on the railroad tracks, and riding bikes, then as a teenager: girls and cars. Jones’ vocals immediately catch your attention , and then does a great job of using the music to build the story. It brings the nostalgia of a time when we were “living for the day the only way we knew, wild eyed, fast and free”.

From there, the album presented a good range of stories. In “Love Again”, Jones offers a different perspective on the most popular kind of song in Texas music: the heartbreak song. Instead of one of sadness and destruction, it describes the perseverance through heartbreak. This take is refreshing and Jones offers a couple additional viewpoints on the matter in the title track “Breaking Even” and “Who’s to Blame”. The record balances out heartbreak melodies, with upbeat tracks about the beauty of nature (Mountains) and one of our favorite tracks on the album, “Lead Foot”; a song about following life’s dreams and the obstacles that may occur with life on the road – sometimes you know where you want to be …but you’re not sure how you’re going to get there.

Jones continues to demonstrate his superior songwriting skills on “Would You” and “What’s the Point” and his ability to connect with the emotions of the listener through “Austin” and “Falling from Grace”. - Chris Fox