Eric Church

The cover of Eric Church’s 2006 album, Sinners Like Me, pictures the country-rocker staring pensively into a glass of whiskey. That’s not a bad picture of the North Carolinian’s music, especially the hardscrabble wisdom of the title track. He walks a careful line on Sinners, 2009’s Carolina, and his most recent, Chief, with puffed-up vocal harmonies and glossy studio shine oft required for the mainstream country scene where he’s scored several hits, but also enough outlaw attitude to pique the interest of listeners for whom radio-friendly country is anathema. Though commercially it might not make sense, jettisoning treacly, unironic lines like “Hell yes, I love my truck / but I want you to know, honey, I love your love the most,” is preferable.

Updated 05/09/2012