New Album Review: Eric Church- Heart & Soul

Eric Church- Heart & Soul

Label: EMI Nashville

Producer: Jay Joyce

This year marks a full decade since the release of Eric Church’s landmark third album, Chief, the career-changing record that not only marked his breakthrough transformation into one of his era’s true country superstars, but also into one of Music City’s rare album-oriented artists. That’s not meant to disparage his first two albums, as they most certainly offered plenty of highlights and signs of his brimming potential. However, Chief was undoubtedly the moment he demonstrated a broader scope of his stylistic inclinations and the breadth of his artistic voice, emphatically separating him from a crowded pack of male country artists being squandered by the problematic tendencies of the 2010s’ bro movement. The passionate showman hasn’t looked back since, with each subsequent album serving as a redeeming reminder of how good mainstream country (and rock for that matter) can still be, while also helping to champion the relevance of the LP art-form in what is now a fascinating marketplace, where single-song streaming happily coincides with the second coming of widespread vinyl collecting. All of this seems to have been ultimately leading the way to Heart & Soul, the artist’s seventh studio release and a colossal triple-album (when included with the fan club exclusive batch, &). Cooked up during the quarantine climate of the past year, the overall project is a riveting collection that is both rousing and tender, and finds Church fully embracing his role as a Heartland rock hero for the 2020s. His early country signifiers that pulled from Outlaw pioneers like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and the like are still lingering, but only subtly. While he’s never been shy about leaning into his rock influences, this record is his ultimate encapsulation of them, revealing a classic rock opus that pays faithful homage to the 70s and 80s sounds of giants like John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Bob Seger, and Meat Loaf. Most importantly, and as is par for the course with Church, the record is never once derivative of these artists, and remains wholly individualistic and unique to his well-established identity as an artist and entertainer.

Divided into three separate acts, the proceedings kick off with Heart and the soul-surging heat of “Heart on Fire”, a joyful, jangly anthem that seamlessly marries Church’s rocked-up twang with an onslaught of rock & roll passion, highlighted by swampy acoustics, searing guitar licks and infectious sing-alongs. It sounds like it could be a sequel to the most glorious moments featured on rock touchstones like The Lonesome Jubilee or Full Moon Fever. Subsequent piano-driven tracks “Heart of the Night” and “Russian Roulette” could earn the same distinction with classics like Born to Run or Bat of Hell, thanks to their restless lyricism, emotional instrumental choices, and the cinematic sequencing of both the production and overall narratives depicted in each. With its charming character sketches, vivid imagery and bartender narrative, “Crazyland” is another highlight and feels like a humble and tasteful country & western equivalent of “Piano Man”. His rootsier side also receives ample showcase with both the rapid-fire “Bunch of Nothing”, an explosion of honky tonk, swampy bluegrass and bouncy boogie-woogie influences, while the poignant “People Break” harkens back to the sound of his early records and offers emotions all listeners can relate to after the mess of the past year. The true centerpiece of this first set however is arguably the hit, “Stick That In Your Country Song”, a spitfire battle cry for some of the most under-appreciated subsets of the population, and a screaming indictment of the society that hesitates to fight for them. The track revisits the heavier rock sound of 2014’s “The Outsiders”, and in the process illustrates that this album is not just an exercise in nostalgia, or a retreat to the universal sounds and subjects of days gone by. It’s also keenly aware of, and intent on tackling, the troubled temperament of today’s America as well.

The finale act of the project proves to be just as aptly titled as the first. Framed with stunning sensuality and slow-burning heat, Soul is a sensational set that also showcases some of the most stunning sonic and vocal twists and turns of Church’s entire career. If the Heart segment was Church’s ultimate indulgence in his love for all things Heartland, Soul is his delicious deep-dive into unabashed rock & soul sizzle. Tracks like “Rock & Roll Found Me” and “Where I Wanna Be” are laid-back, greasy slabs of the kind of bluesy rock that immediately injects an irresistible groove and vintage rock & roll spirit in your veins, and you’re left more than thirsty for more. And Church surely delivers with stand outs ranging from the swamp-rock thrills of “Break It Kind of Guy”, to the booming churn and burn of “Bad Mother Trucker”, to the stripped, sprawling Southern Rock storytelling of “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones”. The sensational highlight however is unquestionably “Look Good & You Know It”, a muddy and amped up rock & soul triumph that builds tremendously upon the backdrop of 2018’s fantastic “Heart Like A Wheel”. It positively drips in sex appeal and takes the expressive qualities of Church’s voice to impressive peaks and valleys that he’s never revealed until now. It’s an evolutionary, career defining performance. I’d be remiss to make it through reviewing the Soul sides without also mentioning the presence of Joanna Cotten, whose backing vocals have been an earthquaking presence on Church’s records since Chief. She has inarguably helped shape the artist’s overall sonic identity, much in the same way that Bonnie Owens‘ ghostly voice did for Haggard’s classic records, Don Rich’s guitar did for Buck Owens, Clarence Clemons’ sax did for Springsteen, and the list goes on. Church’s records simply wouldn’t be the same without Cotten, and he clearly knows it. She’s the heartbeat of a performance like “Look Good”, or current single “Hell of a View”. A full-blown duets record would certainly be a welcome and natural follow-up to the absolutely outstanding performances they create together here.

Finally, though only available as a bonus for his fan club and serving as the gap between the two sequences reviewed above, & should certainly not be dismissed as an inessential collection of bonus tracks. It’s a cohesive group of six cuts that more than hold their own with the other eighteen, and naturally contribute to the overall arc of this body of music. “Through My Ray-Bans” and “Doing Life With Me’ are particular highlights (and are both available as digital singles BTW), connecting the dots back to the humble, stripped down songwriter roots that have always given his music its unique human qualities, even in its most bombastic moments. If you’re a listener wanting to hear more of Church’s natural country sound, without any of the admittedly great genre filters applied on Heart and Soul respectively, you’d be well suited to pay the membership fee and complete this album’s trilogy with &.

Heart & Soul is yet another entertaining and fulfilling record from Eric Church; the latest in a string of outstanding albums from a man clearly on an artistic roll, and undoubtedly in his absolute prime vocally, lyrically, and creatively. This collective body of work overflows with its two titular elements. Expansive projects like this can oftentimes slip into the arenas of overindulgence, exhaustion, and listener fatigue. Not so for Heart & Soul. It’s endlessly inspiring, moving and surprising. And it does what music is meant to do above all else: it’s fucking entertaining as hell. It’s damn near impossible to imagine another mainstream country record topping this one this year, and it’s a surefire candidate for one of the best among all genres. And if any 2021 record thus far seems tailor made to the fulfill the anticipatory expectations set by the return of live music, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year has seemingly created it. Turn this one up loud, and prepare to hit repeat over and over again.

Track Listing

Heart

1. “Heart on Fire” (Eric Church)
2. “Heart of the Night” (Church, Travis Hill, Jeff Hyde, Jeremy Spillman, Ryan Tyndell)
3. “Russian Roulette” (Church, Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell)
4. “People Break” (Church, Luke Laird)
5. “Stick That In Your Country Song” (David Naish, Jeffrey Steele) *2020 Single Release
6. “Never Break Heart” (Church, Luke Dick)
7. “Crazyland” (Church, Laird, Michael P. Heeney)
8. “Bunch of Nothing” (Church, Hyde)
9. “Love Shine Down” (Church, Hyde)

&

1. “Through My Ray-Bans” (Church, Laird, Barry Dean)
2. “Doing Life with me” (Church, Beathard, Steele)
3. “Do Side” (Church, Beathard)
4. “Kiss Her Goodbye” (Church, Beathard)
5. Mad Man” (Church, Beathard)
6. “Lone Wolf” (Church, Hyde, Tyndell)

Soul

1. “Rock & Roll Found Me” (Church, Beathard, Driver Williams)
2. “Look Good and You Know It” (Church, Travis Meadows, Jonathan Singleton)
3. “Bright Side Girl” (Church, Clint Daniels, Scotty Emerick, Hyde)
4. “Break It Kind of Guy” (Church, Beathard, Dick)
5. “Hell of a View” (Church, Beathard, Criswell) *2020 Single Release
6. “Where I Wanna Be” (Church, Beathard, Spillman, Tyndell)
7. “Jenny” (Church)
8. “Bad Mother Trucker” (Church, Beathard, Dick, Spillman)
9. “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones” (Beathard)