Okay, now Jordan Davis is showing some real promise. Let’s be frank, my previous encounters with Davis’s music haven’t been positive. “Singles You Up” landed squarely as my least favorite country song of 2017, and “Take It From Me,” while a slight improvement, still ended up as the fourth-worst country track of 2018 on my list. Despite my reservations, radio embraced Davis, propelling “Take It From Me” to the top of the charts, albeit after a lengthy climb and just before Luke Combs’ dominance. This radio success meant another opportunity for Davis to grace our ears with… well, something.
But wait, surprisingly, there’s no audible assault this time. Could it actually be that Jordan Davis, yes, that Jordan Davis, has put out a genuinely good song?
After several listens, completely free of any pain, I’m genuinely surprised to report that “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot” is not just listenable without the urge to eject your device from the nearest window, but it’s actually enjoyable. With noticeably improved songwriting, Davis seems to have tapped into his inner Thomas Rhett, expressing emotion without sounding like a completely unsympathetic character, a first for him, in my opinion.
However, the production is arguably the weakest link here, leaning a bit too much towards a cold, synthetic feel for the song’s sentiment. The instrumentation initially aligns with Davis’s established sound: clean electric guitars, drum machines, and ambient synth layers in the background. Thankfully, the chorus introduces rougher guitar tones and real drums, shifting the sonic landscape from a purely “slick, urban-leaning track” back towards more conventional, albeit modern, country territory. While the darker, more serious tone of “Take It From Me” is replaced with a brighter sonic palette, the most significant departure from Davis’s previous work is the tempo. “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot” is significantly slower, allowing both Davis’s vocals and the lyrics more space to breathe. And, remarkably, the lyrics are actually worth paying attention to this time! The tempo also maintains just enough momentum to keep the song engaging. While some acoustic elements would have enriched the mix considerably, it’s reasonably well-produced as it is. Considering the low bar Davis previously set, this is a welcome improvement.
Davis’s vocal performance is the biggest revelation. Stepping away from the frantic pace and somewhat sleazy vibe of his earlier songs has allowed him to showcase genuine charisma and, surprisingly, likability. Despite decent lyrics, I was prepared for the “slow dance in a parking lot” concept to be a thinly veiled metaphor for something less innocent. However, when Davis sings about wanting to twirl his partner in a Walmart parking lot, I… I actually believed him for once! While I wouldn’t say I felt an overwhelming sense of affection for his partner, I did believe his feelings. Instead of the overtly sexual persona we’ve become accustomed to, we’re presented with a narrator who genuinely has feelings for someone and is content to take things slow, even if it’s just a waltz on asphalt. This represents a massive stride forward for Davis as a vocalist and one I sincerely hope he builds upon.
Of course, well-crafted lyrics can make all the difference, and these lyrics definitely clear that hurdle. The most significant aspect is the narrator’s respectful tone towards his partner. Instead of the typical country trope of needing to steal someone’s girl and rush them to the bedroom, this narrator appreciates the present moment and the company of his loved one, even if that moment is just “a slow dance in a parking lot.” I’m also impressed by the level of detail in the lyrics. The “rent-a-cop” mention and the image of “moving our feet over the painted white lines” vividly paints the entire scene in the listener’s mind. (Yes, there’s a name-drop, but thankfully it’s Garth Brooks, a more inspired choice than the predictable George Strait or Alan Jackson references. And I appreciate the deeper cut to “She’s Every Woman” – I’d honestly forgotten that song existed!) Adding to the positive aspects, there’s a refreshing lack of objectification; the only description of the woman is a mention of her eyes. This is an unexpected breath of fresh air coming from, frankly, the least likely source.
“Slow Dance In A Parking Lot” probably won’t top my best-of list for 2019, but it has a strong chance of landing in the upper half, which is a considerable achievement given Jordan Davis’s previous output. The songwriting is genuinely strong, Davis finally displays charisma and charm, and the production, while not perfect, largely avoids detracting from the overall experience. If Jordan Davis is indeed a fixture in country music, I sincerely hope he continues down this more mature, Thomas Rhett-esque path, because, surprisingly, he’s actually quite good in this role.
Rating: 6/10. Seriously, give this track a listen. You might be as surprised as I was.
