event 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 and the recent Carolina, with the puffed-up vocal harmonies and glossy studio shine 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 it might not make commercial sense, he could stand to move much further in the latter direction, especially if it meant jettisoning treacly, unironic lines like "hell yes, I love my truck, but I want you to know, honey, I love your love the most."

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 and the recent Carolina, with the puffed-up vocal harmonies and glossy studio shine 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 it might not make commercial sense, he could stand to move much further in the latter direction, especially if it meant jettisoning treacly, unironic lines like "hell yes, I love my truck, but I want you to know, honey, I love your love the most."