Midnight Gasoline is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Jamey Johnson. The album was released on November 8, 2024, via Warner Music Nashville and Big Gassed Records. It was co-produced by the Kent Hardly Playboys and Dave Cobb. The album marks Johnson's first collection of original material in 14 years, following his acclaimed 2010 double album The Guitar Song.
Spanning 12 tracks recorded during a three-week session at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee—formally owned by Johnny and June Carter Cash and now operated by their son John Carter Cash—Midnight Gasoline is the first installment in Johnson's new Cash Cabin Series.
Background and recording
After rising to prominence in the late 2000s with That Lonesome Song and The Guitar Song, Johnson spent much of the next decade on the road, touring continuously while stepping away from the studio.[1][2] Though he recorded Living for a Song in 2012, Midnight Gasoline marks his first original material in over a decade.[3]
The inspiration to return to recording came in part from the death of Johnson's friend and collaborator Toby Keith, whose passing motivated Johnson to work on his discography: "That was the end of his discography, and that's what drove me to wanting to finish my own," Johnson explained.[2][4]
The album was recorded in three weeks at the Cash Cabin Studio, with Johnson sleeping in his tour bus parked outside the studio.[5][3][2] He recorded 30 songs in that time, many of which are expected to appear on future installments in the Cash Cabin Series.[3][2][6]
The album features contributions from longtime collaborators including Randy Houser, who sings on "Tired of It All" and "Trudy," and Chris Stapleton, who co-wrote "Saturday Night in New Orleans" with Johnson and the late Tony Joe White.[1][3][7] Johnson and White began the song before White's death in 2018, and Stapleton helped finish it years later.[2][7]
The first half of the album was produced by the Kent Hardly Playboys, Johnson's longtime band, while the second half was produced by Dave Cobb, who had also worked on That Lonesome Song and The Guitar Song.[3]
Midnight Gasoline was officially announced on October 4, 2024, with Johnson confirming the November 8 release date via Warner Music Nashville.[5][3][8] That same day, he released "Someday When I'm Old," a ballad he first demoed 20 years prior as a promotional single.[5][8] A music video for the track premiered on CMT and featured Johnson "de-aged" via artificial intelligence to appear as his younger self offering advice to the present-day artist.[9]
Composition and themes
Johnson co-wrote eight of the 12 tracks on Midnight Gasoline.[1] The album contains both newly written material and older songs that had been awaiting release.[5][3] Johnson described the project as "glimpses of my life," rather than a concept album, saying, "There isn't an overtone or some underlying theme in the songs...It's good to get those out there."[5][3]
Many of the songs reflect on loss, sobriety, and aging, while others dive into love, regret, and personal identity.[1][2][7][6] "One More Time" explores longing and the idea of playing God to see a lost loved one again.[1][2][6] "21 Guns," a tribute to fallen soldiers, was inspired by Johnson's own service in the United States Marine Corps and has been featured at major memorial events.[1][2][6]
"Sober" is a candid reflection of Johnson's battle with alcohol addiction. Having stopped drinking in 2011 and quitting marijuana in 2015, Johnson explained: "With a sober mind, I'm able to do things like get a pilot's license, manage a business, start a product line.[2][7][6] The title track is one of the album's most praised songs, depicting a late-night drive to forget an old love: "While you're lighting up the man of your dreams, I'm burning the midnight gasoline."[4] Johnson also takes a jab at contemporary cultural debates in "What You Answer To," where his wry humor on gender identity comes across as controversial to some listeners.[1]
"Trudy," a cover of the Charlie Daniels 1970 song, blends Johnson's outlaw country roots with swampy blues and features a prominent brass section.[1][7] "What a View," co-written with Randy Houser and Dallas Davidson, is a romantic ballad steeped in classic country aesthetics, with heavy use of harmonica and steel guitar.[7]
Midnight Gasoline received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and authenticity. Critics praised Johnson's rich voice and the album's unvarnished production style, likening it to his earlier work while acknowledging a matured perspective.[1][4][6]
Reviewers singled out "One More Time," "Sober," and "Midnight Gasoline" as highlights for their emotional resonance and lyrical poignancy.[4][6]Wide Open Country wrote that the title track "swells and throbs like a lone wolf howling in the night," while Billboard praised Johnson's ability to "connect modern country with his songwriting heroes of the past."[4][6]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
