Eric Church comes back strong following a three-year hiatus with “Desperate Man,” the title-track from his sixth studio LP. 

“Hey, what can I say? / I’m a desperate man.” Following a three-year hiatus, seven-time, Grammy-nominated country artist Eric Church returns with his sixth studio album, Desperate Man (arriving October 5, 2018).  Fitting, the hard-rocking, turned-up title track – the eighth song on the 11-track LP – serves as the promo single. While the country goes strong, perhaps it’s the southern rock-centric tilt of this record that truly makes it shine.  Safe to say, there are no soft moments as “Desperate Man” is amped up.

Lyrically, Eric Church has plenty of colorful moments on “Desperate Man.”  He does a superb job of conveying just how desperate as channels “how lost he was for a while”, contrasting the good and the bad.  Among the colorful moments are the Biblical and spiritual (The Joshua Tree, Mary, prayer), the risky and sinful (“Strolled ‘cross the devil’s hot coal”), as well as divination (fortuneteller).  On the bridge, he’s the most aggressive:

“I’m a half-cock, full-tilt, scarred-hands-to-the-hilt / Don’t-push-me, grown-ass man / Yeah flashin’ light caution, careful where ya cross son / ‘Til she comes back again.”

Clearly, you don’t want to mess with a “Desperate Man.”

Final Thoughts

Listening to “Desperate Man,” and considering what Eric Church told Josh Eells (Rolling Stone), he truly sounds “Freeee” – returning to the game strong.  Will country fans more accustomed to the contemporary script be onboard with this less commercial, more rock-oriented throwback joint? Time will tell, but from my perspective, it’s refreshing to hear this from a country artist as opposed to bringing in the modern electronic, pop, or R&B script.  That works for some country artists highly successfully mind you, but Church sounds like he’s right in the lane he needs to be.

Eric Church • Desperate Man • EMI Nashville • Release: 10.5.18

Photo Credit: EMI Nashville