Desperate Man Archives

Eric Church, Desperate Man

The term outlaw generally defines one who has broken the law. Eric Church who released his sixth studio album, Desperate Man, available everywhere today, breaks the laws of the current country music trends by following his gut and releasing music that his fans will love, paying no mind to radio programmers or Billboard charts.

The character that Church plays in his latest video for the title track and debut single from the album showcases a fugitive on the run, mainly from his record label and industry bigwigs alike as he tries to simply get his music to his fans. The members of the Church Choir are rewarded each time he releases an album, the vinyl record shows up on their doorstep, sometimes before it is available anywhere else, a precedent he started with his 2015 album Mr. Misunderstood and will continue with this album.

Church doesn’t shy away from his political views on Desperate Man, rather chooses to confront what middle-class Americans are facing in the opening track “The Snake” as well as the album closer, “Drowning Man”. The former grittily accentuates the greed our government is so often capable of while the latter focuses on the underdog, the struggles blue-collar workers are facing.

“Monsters” highlights several downfalls that the human race encounters including, pride, sickness, and darkness, which all take their lessons from the devil. Church combats these monsters by facing them head-on with his faith. (“I keep my faith intact/ make sure my prayers are said / cause I’ve learned that the monsters ain’t the ones beneath the bed”)

Interestingly enough, Desperate Man is released exactly one year after the mass shooting at Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, where Church was a performer the night before the tragedy. Although each member of our country community was hit hard by this senseless act of violence, he publicly showed his emotion during a performance at The Grand Ole Opry the following week and discussed the event during his in-depth interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, telling them it was the last time he cried.

Desperate Man has it’s heavy, poignant songs but two of our favorites are “Hippie Radio”, a nostalgic look back at a life filled with music from the past and “Heart Like A Wheel” a sensual, sultry track which seems like the perfect sequel to “Like A Wrecking Ball” from his 2014 album The Outsiders. Sonically as a whole, the project explores new dimensions vocally all the while reinventing Church’s signature sound.

Announced last month, Church will begin his Double Down Tour in 2019 bringing his new music on the road. The tour stops in 18 cities, each city he will play two completely different shows, plus one show in Nashville. For the full list of tour dates, head to www.ericchurch.com. Click here to take a look back at our all-time favorite Eric Church songs so far and take a listen to Desperate Man below.

Follow Church on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with new music, upcoming announcements and more. Plus follow our new country music playlist for your weekly updates on the hottest new country music.

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Photo by: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

As we anticipate the release of Eric Church’s sixth studio album, Desperate Man, this Friday (Oct. 5), we took a walk down memory lane, chronicling some of the entertainer’s best hits.

Church’s incredible catalog of songs span over a decade, giving fans an inside look into his thoughts and feelings as an artist through his diverse song-writing. Although difficult, we narrowed down the platinum-selling singer’s tracks to ten of his best songs, so far.

10. “Desperate Man”

As the title track on the soon to be released album, “Desperate Man” makes the list for its contemporary country sound. The track co-written by Church with Ray Wylie Hubbard, leaves loyal fans even more excited for the new songs to come.

9. “Creepin”

Every Church fans knows this one! “Creepin” was the fourth single off of Church’s 2011 album, Chief, The track garnered Church a top 10 hit and still remains a crowd favorite during live shows today.

8. “Guys Like Me”

Co-written by Church with Deric Ruttan, one of the first singles, “Guys Like Me,” off his debut album Sinners Like Me, was our introduction to the singer’s vibe and “outlaw” mentality.

7. “The Outsiders”

The title song and first single off Church’s fourth studio album grabbed our number seven spot with its unlikely reception from country fans and country radio. It is an anthem for the outsiders, the “weirdos,” and the underdogs. The single captivated fans, and even found its way to Number 6 on the Billboard Hot Country chart.

6. “Give Me Back My Hometown”

Platinum-certified “Give Me Back My Hometown” is an important song in Church’s career, due to its success on the country charts. Its poignant and nostalgic lyrics, cowritten by the singer, earn it a spot on our list.

5. “Drink In My Hand”

One can not simply compile a list of Eric Church hits without including this breakout song, “Drink In My Hand,” off Chief. The track is the country megastar’s first number one song of his career, a platinum-certified track, and his first Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

4. “Talladega”

This slow-burn ballad found its way to our number 4 spot for its lyrical message. Although Church’s inspiration came from racing, the song reminds fans to live for the moment, as time passes us by quicker than we think.

3. “Love Your Love The Most”

The first single off the sophomore album, Carolina, is the singer-songwriter’s first top 10 hit. The heartfelt love song showcases Church’s vulnerable and romantic side, which music lovers appreciate.

2. “Record Year”

This 2015 track off Church’s surprise album, Mr. Misunderstood, scores the number 2 spot, due to its ingenious lyrics and play on words, as well as, its true-blue Church sound that fans enjoy.

1. “Springsteen”

Our number one spot goes to Church’s iconic and chart-topping, “Springsteen.” Written by Church with Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell, the track transcends generations with its musical references and story romance. More importantly, the number one single was certified double platinum, and earned Church two Grammy Award nominations, in addition to an ACM Award for Song of the Year in 2012.

Top Eric Church Songs honorable mentions go to “Round Here Buzz, “What I Almost Was,” and “Smoke a Little Smoke.” How does our list of our Top Eric Church Songs match up to yours? Listen to the tracks on the playlist below and check back here on Friday for our ‘First Impression’ review of the superstar’s highly anticipated album, Desperate Man.

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Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

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Tag Archive for: Desperate Man

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