Eric Church Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
Country music outlaw Eric Church blasted onto the scene in 2006 with his jaw-dropping debut effort, Sinners Like Me. The North Carolina native quickly earned a dedicated following and a reputation for putting on a killer live show. Carolina, the singer/songwriter's 2009 sophomore release, is as raw and real as they come out of Nashville -- where style is often passed off as substance. Like Sinners Like Me, Carolina is a from-the-gut collection filled to the brim with traditionally rooted country music that is masterfully tempered with Southern baked rock. From the floor rattling fury of "Ain't Killed Me Yet" to the heart tugging honesty of "Those I've Loved" Church soars higher here than he did on his critically praised debut. The characters who live and breathe between the chords and melodies in Church's songs are as authentic as the well-worn frets on his acoustic guitar. The guy on the chugging "Lotta Boot Left to Fill," who claims Johnny Cash would have "whipped" the ass of those country posers who insist on name-checking the late "Man In Black" in their songs, bears a strong resemblance to Church himself. Loud guitars, gritty vocals, and more soul than a Sunday morning sermon best sums up Carolina. ~ Todd Sterling, All Music Guide
'Sinners Like Me'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 12
Label Capitol Nashville
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
At a time when country music was sliding deeper and deeper into a soulless pop rut, Capitol Records Nashville took a chance on North Carolina native Eric Church and his hard-edged music. With one foot planted firmly in the Haggard tradition and the other in the outlaw style of Waylon and Hank Jr., Church stormed onto the charts with his debut album, Sinners Like Me. He grew up listening to the old-school sounds of the Hag and his outlaw brethren, but he also had one ear tuned to the rock & roll sounds rumbling from the other side of the tracks. Sinners Like Me is a cool country-rock hybrid that is far removed from the lameness that is usually associated with the 21st century country music scene. The boot stomping grit of "Before She Does," an electric guitar steeped number that has Church wailing that Jesus will be back before the girl who left him high and dry will, sets the tone for the entire disc. Raw and real pretty much sums up the 11-track collection. One minute Church is reflecting on an old pair of boots that have seen him through many hard times on the mandolin smoked "These Boots," the next he's slipping into the skin of a death row inmate in his final moments on the lump-in-the-throat "Lightning." If you look up the word "authentic" in the dictionary, you just might see a picture of Eric Church. ~ Todd Sterling, All Music Guide
