Album Review – Jon Pardi’s “Honkytonk Hollywood”

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#530.2 (Country Pop) and #510 (Traditional Country) on the Country DDS.

When the histories are written about this neotraditionalist era in country music, fair credit will be given to Jon Pardi for being one of the fearless performers to insist on his country music sounding country at a time when this was counter to most everything coming out of major label Nashville. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have some pop-leaning radio songs. But he was one of the first to push against the grain, and to find success doing so. Jon Pardi walked so Zach Top and others could run.

But as the rest of country music seems to be following Jon Pardi’s lead, Jon Pardi himself seems to be staying static, if not heading in the other direction ever so slightly. Though this moment in time could be the opportunity for Pardi to lay on the honky tonk pedal and double down on his more traditional sound and songwriting, he’s just released perhaps his most anodyne and pop album yet.

When Pardi released the lead single called “Friday Night Heartbreaker,” he had us all worried about a significant change in direction. Honkytonk Hollywood isn’t exactly that. As is not uncommon from a Music Row release, the lead single is often the worst. This album does have some straight Jon Pardi honky tonk songs. But at 17 tracks, there’s also plenty of opportunities for Pardi to tun in pretty forgettable songs that radio still won’t probably play.

Let’s start off with the positive though, because Pardi probably records some of the most country-sounding songs of his entire career on this album. This includes the well-written “Nice Place To Visit” with it’s distinct twin fiddle start off, and story about being good for a one night stand but not much else. “Bar Room Blue” is another good one, a classic country heartbreaker Pardi co-wrote with Josh Thompson and Luke Laird.

There’s also a few tracks that give you a Midland vibe like “Gamblin’ Man,” and some very personal feeling tracks like “She Drives Away” about fatherhood, and “He Went To Work” also about fathers, just from a different perspective. Though the sound is a bit more contemporary, you love the attitude of “Hard Knocks” with the lyrical hook “You answer the door any time hard knocks,” making you want to pump your fist. This is the kind of meat-and-potatoes country that’s hard to hate on, however it sounds.


But then “Hard Knocks” is followed up with the terrible “Don’t You Wanna Know” with synth-like hand claps and terrible production. “Hey California” also has a sound that can spoil the whole album experience. Still, it’s not that swaths of this album are bad as much as they’re just not very stimulating, and end up forgettable. Pardi doesn’t really take any chances here like his did on his last album with the hilarious song “Reverse Cowgirl.”

It’s not that Honkytonk Hollywood is horrible. It’s just that it sounds similar to every single other major label country album out there. Pardi does pepper references to California in numerous songs, which does give the album a very slightly distinctness to the Dixon, CA native. Then when you look at who was the producer and you see the name “Jay Joyce,” it all starts to make sense. Pardi co-produced his last few albums, and worked with multiple folks in the business. Honkytonk Hollywood is all Jay Joyce, all the time.

Though it can be easy or even lazy to blame Jay Joyce for a lackluster feeling of this album, it’s probably fair. Do we really think Jay Joyce is out there with his ear the the ground, sensing this is the moment to really double down on the twang? Just like Morgan Wallen, he’s probably never even heard of Zach Top. Jay Joyce is just doing what Jay Joyce always does, which is push country artists in a more pop, rock, and stylized direction.

And how well has this worked for Jon Pardi? That big pop country lead single “Friday Night Heartbreaker” with its five songwriters currently sits at #24 on the Country Airplay charts when it should be inching toward #1 with the album release. There’s a very distinct chance the new Turnpike Troubadours album The Price of Admission will smoke Honkytonk Hollywood in the charts this upcoming week, and without any physical copies available, and with six less tracks.

Honkytonk Hollywood is not a bad album overall, and it has some good songs. But the fat need to be trimmed, and the emphasis needed to be on the twang. This could have been the moment Pardi finally found the prestige he’s deserved. Country is becoming more country, so much that even pop stars are making country albums. But Jon Pardi has been here. He should act like that. This is his turf.

But instead, we get the idea that pandering to pop radio is the path to popularity here in 2025. The good news is there are still some good songs to take away from this effort.

1 1/4 Guns Up (6.8/10)

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