Holding On

More than ten years after Jack Ingram recorded his first studio album, next Tuesday marks Jack's proper introduction into the world of mainstream country. Although last January, Big Machine Records released Live: Wherever You Are, the album was merely a re-issue of Jack's Live from Gruene Hall CD, with a couple of studio tracks ("Love You" and "Wherever You Are," both which have since become singles for Jack, "Wherever You Are" eventually reaching the top of the charts) and an additonal "live" track, taken from the CMT "Outlaws" show, thrown in for good measure.

On March 27th, Jack's full-length, studio, major-label CD will make its debut. The two previous singles, and Jack's latest single, "Lips of an Angel" (yes, a remake of the Hinder song) will be included on the album. The title of the CD, This Is It, is taken from a line in the second track "Hold On," which features backing vocals by Sheryl Crow. "Hold On" forms the core of the album, which is about striking a balance between holding on and letting go (ironically, Tim McGraw's new CD Let It Go hits stores the same day Jack's does). After more than a decade of being considered a seminal artist, it is likely that this is a struggle Jack is facing professionally as he reaches for bigger audiences. He's admitted that "This Is It" seemed like the appropriate title, because "this" is what he's been working toward for the past ten-plus years.

The theme of holding on is seen in songs like "Wherever You Are," "Make a Wish," while songs like "Measure of a Man," and "Don't Want to Hurt" are about letting go of past hurts. The album's closing song, "All I Can Do," brings those themes together as Jack's letter of honesty to the music industry.

And while he's certainly adapted his style (his "#1 hit" is arguably the most boring on the album, and even that's not all that bad, and will hopefully allow him to have future hits with more "Jack-like" songs), Jack remains fiercely loyal to finding and recording great songs. "Measure of a Man," the opening tune about forgiveness is co-written by the fantastic Radney Foster, while "Love You," was co-written by the adorable Trent Summar. And Jack's got some fabulous collaborations with Todd Snider and his former guitarist Chris Masterson (now on the road with Son Volt). Jack also includes some of his own previously-unrecorded audience favorites like "Ava Adele" and "Great Divide," to create an album that will gently break mainstream country fans into the genius of Jack Ingram, and to give his long-time fans something to be proud of.

Congratulations, Jack. Hold on to what you've worked for. This is it!