If there’s been a recent country artist who has undeniably changed the genre’s game, it’s Cody Jinks. A cult favorite with a diehard following, Jinks makes no-frills country music with rough-hewn edges—as influenced by genre giants like Waylon Jennings as he is by heavy metal. For his 12th album, Jinks takes an unreleased live favorite, the arena-rocker “Change the Game,” and builds around it, pushing himself both lyrically and vocally to level up his artistry. Highlights include the emotional substance-abuse confrontation of “Sober Thing,” which opens the record and boasts one of Jinks’ finest vocals to date, and “Take This Bottle,” a vulnerable collaboration with Pearl Aday. Naturally, Jinks made Change the Game according to his independent spirit, releasing the record on his own Late August Records label. Jinks’ bassist Joshua Thompson co-produced the LP with Ryan Hewitt, known for his work with a diverse array of artists including Molly Tuttle and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.