Eric Church: ‘Soul’ – Album Review

Eric Church’s new album, Soul, is available now, April 23rd, on all streaming platforms. The record marks the last of 3 new albums released by Church this month, including &’ and ‘Heart‘.. Read our first impression review of ‘Soul’ below as we dig a little deeper into the new music.

Eric Church’s last of three new albums, ‘Soul’ available everywhere now, April 23rd

Eric Church’s last of three new albums, ‘Soul’ available everywhere now, April 23rd

For Eric Church fans, the final piece of his incredible Heart & Soul collection is Soul, released today, April 23. Following in the footsteps of Heart and &, Soul shows Church stretching himself musically, sampling different sounds and truly making another standout record. Out of the three new releases, Soul is sonically the most diverse of Church’s offerings, truly living up to its name.

Soul opens with the grooving “Rock & Roll Found Me,” which tells the tale of a “skinny little white kid,” whose life was changed when he discovered music. He compares it to his faith and to a drug, a new addiction for a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. “I turned on my amps and all at once my blind could see,” He proclaims. “Yeah when rock and roll found me.” 

Church continues to explore his soulful side throughout this project with songs like “Where I Wanna Be” and “Look Good And You Know It.” The latter track mixes driving guitars with a breakdown that actually sounds like an old doo-wop song, Church seamlessly trading vocals with the female background singers. Meanwhile, “Where I Wanna Be” also shows Church experimenting musically and vocally, his voice sliding into a falsetto as he croons, “And I’m down, I’m game, I’m in, I’m free // Wherevеr she is that’s where I wanna bе.” 

“Break It Kind of Guy,” is classic Church with a twist, the chorus almost venturing into Bee Gees-esque territory, while “Bad Mother Trucker” continues in that similar vein, as its Church dialed up to eleven. The breakdown midway through is truly something special, and we cannot wait to hear this live.

While Church is experimenting with different sounds and styles here, there’s also some tried and true Chief on Soul. This is exemplified on one of the album’s highlights, “Hell of a View,” Church singing of life with him, “This ain’t for everybody // Toes hanging off the ledge // Like we got nothin’ to lose // Ain’t always heaven, baby // This livin’ on the edge // You holdin’ me holdin’ you // It’s a hell of a view.”

Likewise, “Jenny” is a mid-tempo country song that Church debuted at this year’s Country Radio Seminar, revealing to those in attendance that it was inspired by a broken generator.

Soul ends with “Lynyrd Skynard Jones,” the only track not co-written by Church. Written by his frequent collaborator Casey Beathard, the song reveals the story of an Alabama boy whose mother was a big fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd, “born to carry on who his mother was a fan of.” Church tells the haunting tale over a simple acoustic guitar, a twist coming in the song’s final line. While Eric Church can rock with the best of them, he’s also one of the genre’s finest storytellers, as evidenced on “Lynyrd Skynard Jones.”

Soul is Church’s most eclectic collection yet, beginning with “Rock & Roll Found Me,” and we’re so glad it did, as it’s impossible to imagine a world without Eric Church’s music.

NYCS Picks:

  1. Hell of a View
  2. Break It Kind of Guy
  3. Look Good and You Know It
Eric Church set to release three albums, 'Heart', '&', 'Soul' this April 2021

Eric Church’s three-album project, ‘Heart’, ‘&’, ‘Soul’, April 2021

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about future Eric Church releases.

To keep up with Eric Church, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Soul is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.