Chris Jones & The Night Drivers make a bluegrass case for reconsidering a firmly held opinion on “See It Now,” available Friday, Sept. 25, through Mountain Home Music Company.
Jones co-wrote the song with folk singer-songwriter John McCutcheon. Instead of treating a changed mind as weakness, the song presents it as the result of reflection, humility and a willingness to look again.
‘See It Now’ Praises Reconsidering
Jones described “See It Now” as “a song in praise of flip-flopping,” although he quickly placed the idea in more generous terms.
“It’s a song about coming to a different viewpoint after reflecting and taking a deeper look,” Jones said. “Maybe that’s something we should all do more often.”
The message arrives at a time when admitting a mistake can seem more difficult than defending it. However, the song does not turn that observation into a lecture. Its relaxed bluegrass arrangement leaves room for the point to unfold naturally.
Carley Arrowood returns as a guest on fiddle, while Mark Stoffel adds mandolin. Grace van’t Hof’s baritone ukulele and Nelson Williams’ bass complete the arrangement. Jones said Arrowood’s contribution helped the song find its shape in the studio.
Chris Jones Reunites With John McCutcheon
“See It Now” is the second song Jones has released from his writing partnership with McCutcheon. Their earlier collaboration, “How Small of Me,” appeared on Chalk Lines and Dust as a duet with Jim Lauderdale.
The new recording is Chris Jones & The Night Drivers’ first release since that album arrived earlier this summer. Rather than extending its larger themes directly, “See It Now” stands on a simple idea: growth sometimes begins with the courage to admit that the first answer was incomplete.