Desperate Man
Nowhere on his sixth album does Eric Church directly address either of the two most tumultuous events that occurred during its making, but their presence is felt. Exasperation over the politicized aftermath of the shooting at the Church-headlined Route 91 festival imbues opener “The Snake,” casting the current national divide as intractable and poisonous. Bookending that is slow-burn closer “Drowning Man,” lamenting the dire prospects of an average American worker caught in the middle of that divide. In between, Church\'s life-affirming relief over successful emergency surgery to remove a deadly blood clot can be heard in the joyous survivor\'s boogie of “Hangin\' Around,” the opposites-attract waltz “Heart Like a Wheel,” and the “Sympathy for the Devil”-nudging title track (“Fortune teller told me/\'No more last chances, you got no future at all\'/Oh, but I ain\'t listenin\'”). No one would blame Church if he wanted to use either of these experiences to grandstand a little, but he is canny enough to understand the power of what isn\'t said.
A year after headlining a night of the tragic Route 91 Harvest festival, the popular country renegade forgoes the obvious references on one of the most modest but poignant albums of his career.
Nashville's ruling outsider considers our current political shit-show, asks for more whiskey.
Country music renegade Eric Church returns with his sixth album, while Welsh band Estrons make their debut
Eric Church doesn't sound at the end of his rope on his sixth album; he sounds settled in his skin, assured that he doesn't have to try too hard.
Eric Church's masculinity has never quite been threatening, but it has never really allowed for women or queer folks either, and the rock fo...