Eric Church - Carolina

Monday. First day of the week. Weekends seem to continue to somehow get shorter and shorter. But alas, we're back and it's a knee-slappin', yee-haw'in, country day here on the B Side. Looking back at my request list from the outstanding JenInTosa, I'm down to one of her last suggestions. Not sure why Mr. Church got thrown to the bottom of the list, but hey, it happens. He was born in 1977 in Granite Falls, North Carolina. Shocking that he's from Carolina based on the name of this record. When he started playing local gigs in his area, he played mostly Jimmy Buffet cover songs - and then a few of his original licks. The clubs he played were so rough, he'd often get into fights while playing on stage with the crowd. His first album came out in 2006, and never got super noticed by country nuts out there. This album dropped in March of 2009 and is certified gold by the RIAA. Seems as though he's on the upswing, and has his third studio recording due out this year sometime. I'd heard it was going to be next week, but I can't seem to confirm that anywhere. He seems to have that older school deep south kind of sound - mixed with more modern lyrics and subject matter. He seems like he'd be the type of country artist you might really walk the outlaw country walk. I'm not sure it fully translates in his music, but the persona sure would work out. This reminds of the racist, sexist, badass country of back in the 70's. It might not be quite as good as some of those acts, but I think there is a place for that brand today. We'll see where he goes with record three.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Ain't Killed Me Yet
2. Lotta Boot Left to Fill
3. Young and Wild
4. Where She Told Me to Go
5. Longer Gone
6. Love Your Love the Most
7. Smoke a Little Smoke
8. Without You Here
9. You Make It Look So Easy
10. Carolina
11. Hell on the Heart
12. Those I've Loved

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Carolina
2. Smoke A Little Smoke
3. Love Your Love The Most

FINAL RATING:
2.75 out of 5 stars