Last Monday at Midnight, I downloaded my copy of “The Outsiders” from Eric Church. If you’ve followed my blog or even my Facebook & Twitter, you know how excited I’ve been about this album in particular.
The original plan was to pick up a hard copy from Walmart, (because I’m the type of person who likes to actually hold it in my hands) but because I was too excited and couldn’t wait...that didn’t happen.
Let me just say, I had high expectations for this record, but WOW.
When I read the Rolling Stones article prior to the release, I knew it was going to break boundaries and push some buttons (that’s what EC does), but it kinda gave me the impression that he might have gone to a completely different style that was somehow different from the Eric Church I already knew and love. All that said, I was fully prepared to not like his new direction...while still respecting his creativity and innovation.
I ended up listening to the whole things from start to finish that night.
Aaron and I sat in silence, occasionally pausing to say something like, “holy shit,” or “this guy is amazing,” ect. For the most part we were at a loss for words.
Regardless of his style, which I believe is still true Eric Church, you have to acknowledge the brilliance of this album. The lyrics are killer, the production is killer, it’s all...killer! It’s not about any one song, although every song is great in itself, it’s about the whole package.
inSIDEr NOTE: Now-a-days, Country music/music in general is all about singles. Hardly anyone is concerned with making records. Why? Because singles are where the money’s at. You can release them individually for digital downloads or for radio play. You can make more money by selling a single song than you can selling the full product.
This probably has a lot to do with iTunes and the ability to cherry-pick your favorite songs without downloading the whole album. Eventually artists started to cater to that set up. Maybe there’s some good to that, but I think it’s kind of sad, because we lose the element of each record being a listening journey.
Eric Church does not just pick 12 great songs, throw them together, and say: start wherever you want, bounce around and find something you like. It’s not 12 songs with a few hits strung together by mediocrity. There’s purpose. It all fits together and it’s a full listening experience.
Now onto the tracks.
I know it gets long, but hang with me, I just couldn’t help myself.
I think it’s great that it opens with, “The Outsiders,” because it sets the tone of the whole album, and not to mention what he stands for; refusing to conform with everyone else. He places himself as a modern-day country outlaw like Haggard or Merle.
Following up The Outsiders, is “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young” which again goes along with the theme of being a reckless outsider, wondering how he’s “outlived Hank or Jesus.” It’s a ballad he sings to the woman who loves him regardless of all his crazy ways. I personally love the line “If I make it thirty more its the brown that you’ll be looking for, as you run your fingers through.” Killer.
It starts getting really cool with, “Cold One.” The first drinking track on the album. It’s the story of his woman walking out on him, and leaving him "1 beer short of a 12 pack." The beginning is traditional country, but as soon as that chorus kicks in, so does this electric vibe.
Track four, is probably one of my favorites (that is, if I had to pick one). “Roller Coaster Ride” is just one of those incredibly contagious and fun songs that makes you wanna drive fast. Seriously, it does.
The words are incredible, describing those post-traumatic emotions of a break-up as a roller coaster ride. “Up and down I go; over you then ‘bout to lose my mind.” Of course, it doesn’t stop there, the production gives you this psychedelic beat, pushing you one step closer to being on that roller coaster.
“Talladega,” is one of the most traditional songs on the record. It’s a classic ballad about being young and making memories in Talladega. It’s one of those songs, everyone can relate to, taking you back to that moment, when you were young and invincible, and you never wanted it to end.
Six is “Broke Record.” Kind of like Roller coaster in the sense that the production just sends the track through the roof, making you feel like you’re listening to an old record. The broken record comparison has been made and sung about before, but when you hear this...it sounds brand new. Leave it to Eric Church to put a fresh “spin” on an old idea.
“Like A Wrecking Ball,” in light of recent events, probably conjures up images of an inappropriate Miley Cyrus video. Yeah, this is not that wrecking ball. Although, the song does have a raunchy edge to it. I love that the harsh words are balanced by a soft ballad. I’m loving this one more and more, every time I listen to it.
“That’s Damn Rock & Roll.” It’s a hard hitting, rock out anthem about rock & roll. Church tells us what it is and what it’s not. “It ain’t about the money you make when a record gets sold, it’s about doing it for nothing cause it lives in your soul.”
"Dark Side" is a dark and deep, reflective ballad. It kind of makes you go, “Did he really just go there?” Yep. He did.
The writing here is just genius, with a nice little surprise at the end. Listen for yourself. I don’t want to spoil it.
“Dark Side” goes straight into “Devil, Devil,” but not before one of my favorite parts of the album! & that is the Prelude: Princess of Darkness.
Church just talked about his personal dark side, and now he goes into detail on the dark side of Nashville. It’s incredible, to say the least.
He chose to talk about something that everyone knows, but no one wants to talk about.
“To mine gold in this silver mine it does take balls of brass.”
“The agents are her bookie, and the labels are her pimp”
“If you make it she’s your savior, if not she’s a whore.”
After that, you get to rock out to “Devil, Devil.”
The last two are, “Give Me Back My Hometown” & “The Joint.”
“Give Me Back My Hometown” is the second single on the album. It’s another classic EC tune, about the love from his hometown, who’s tainted all of his favorite places with her memory.
& Last is “The Joint.” Bringing the album full circle, and ending on a different, edgy, tune, about his mama’s best kept secret.
Eric Church found a way to perfectly blend different styles into an album that is still undoubtedly his. It’s modern, cool, & hip, but it’s still COUNTRY.
Well done!
I won’t be taking this out of my cd player for a while.
Hope you check it out if you haven’t yet.
