The Outsiders

by Eric Church

Overview

Just in case the title of The Outsiders doesn't give away the game, Eric Church takes pains to strike a defiant stance throughout his fourth album, underscoring his status as a genuine Nashville Rebel. He sings about his "Dark Side" and the Devil, murmurs ominously about "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young," winks a double entendre about "The Joint," and declares "That's Damn Rock & Roll," a provocative statement from a singer who is nominally country but loves to strut with a heavy metal swagger. Church brings on the thunder with "The Outsiders," a galumphing rallying cry that's intended as a middle finger to all those cheerful bros in tight-fitting jeans who sing songs about trucks set to a hip-hop beat. He may sneer at those good-looking suburban country dudes riding the top of the charts but Church is a modern man -- he decorates the kiss-off "Cold One" with a skittish electronic funk beat -- who doesn't take a second glance at the past, unless it's to tip a hat to Hank, Hag, Jones, or Waylon or to deliver the slow-burning Southern soul of "Like a Wrecking Ball." Contrary to the bluster of "The Outsiders" and "That's Damn Rock & Roll," Church doesn't follow the macho straight and narrow on The Outsiders. Surely, he never disguises his masculine side but sings sweetly, too, and he indulges in detours, the craziest being the prog pomposity of the eight-minute suite "Devil, Devil (Prelude: Princess of Darkness)." Most of all, he takes strides to paint himself as the heir apparent to workingman's hero Bruce Springsteen, going so far as to write an anthem to dying middle-class America called "Give Me Back My Hometown." Designed to be a set closer at arenas across the U.S., it delivers the requisite fireworks but Church possesses a sly eye for detail that humanizes his broad strokes, a necessary counterpoint to songs that are otherwise outsized. This shift toward the epic -- present throughout The Outsiders but not always dominating the tone -- is a real shift for Church, who has otherwise specialized in songs that are a little simpler. Church has made the conscious decision to try a little bit of everything in his quest to be a savior to both rock and country, and if he doesn't quite knock it out of the park when he swings for the fences, he nevertheless scores. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	02/11/2014
Label:	Capitol Nashville
UPC:	0602537577446

Tracks

1. The Outsiders
2. A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young
3. Cold One
4. Roller Coaster Ride
5. Talladega
6. Broke Record
7. Like a Wrecking Ball
8. That's Damn Rock & Roll
9. Dark Side
10. Devil, Devil (Prelude: Princess of Darkness)
11. Give Me Back My Hometown
12. The Joint

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eric Church   Primary Artist,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Joanna Cotton   Vocals (Background)
Barry Green   Trombone
J.T. Corenflos   Guitar (Electric)
Jason Hall   Vocals (Background)
Jason Sellers   Vocals (Background)
Roy Agee   Trombone
Craig Wright   Drums,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Jay Joyce   Bass,Drums,Noise,Piano,Baritone,Omnichord,Wurlitzer,Percussion,Pump Organ,Synthesizer,Sound Effects,Organ (Hammond),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Bryan Sutton   Banjo,Dobro,Piano,Bouzouki,Mandolin,Percussion,Slide Dobro,Octave Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Lee Hendricks   Bass,Percussion,Guitar (Baritone),Vocals (Background)
Jeff Hyde   Banjo,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Matthew Wheeler   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Ryan Tyndell   Composer
Michael P. Heeney   Composer
Michael Heaney   Composer
Danny Meadows   Composer
Casey Beathard   Composer
Jason Hall   Engineer
Michael Heeney   Composer
Eric Church   Composer
Andrew Mendelson   Mastering
Jay Joyce   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Jeff Hyde   Composer
Lynn Hutton   Composer
Jeremy Spillman   Composer
Travis Meadows   Composer
Matthew Wheeler   Assistant
Monty Criswell   Composer
Scott Johnson   Production Assistant
Karen Naff   Design,Art Direction
John Peets   Photography
Arturo Buenahora, Jr.   Executive Producer
Luke Laird   Composer