Desperate Man
| Eric Church
Desperate Man
Desperate Man is the sixth album by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released via EMI Nashville and Snakefarm Records on October 5, 2018. The album's lead single is its title track.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
This is an album designed not for the moment but the long haul. The songs themselves are strikingly uncluttered, too, containing just enough emotion to give them considerable resonance.
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Rolling Stone
It’s an album about hard lessons, last calls, working-class weariness, father-and-son dynamics, and the road-tested love — for oneself and for others — that throws each struggle into relief.
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Variety
Church is being a traditionalist of sorts here, but it’s a traditionalism that spans a good deal of different country and rock throwback subgenres and still leaves room for sonic updates; you never felt in the ‘70s like you were inside a bass drum the way Jay Joyce’s production sometimes has you imagining here. It’s throwback-y in spades, but bears such a personal stamp in a world of cookie-cutter male competitors, that it still feels like Church is moving country forward.
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Sounds Like Nashville
The album reflects a man trying to find his place in society and while at times he's unsure of his footing, he remains solid in his conviction and in his roots. On Desperate Man, Church once again proves his staying power. The singer wrote or co-wrote each of the 11 songs on the project, and as a result, leaves an indelible and personal mark on his listener.
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Saving Country Music
Desperate Man may be Eric Church’s most creative, and most enriching record yet. It’s still not fair to label Desperate Man country, though a few songs would qualify as such via the songwriting. It’s distinctly a roots rock record, even more stripped-down and sweaty than Mr. Misunderstood. But the album works on many levels, regardless of the genre affiliation.
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Los Angeles Times
A gorgeously beat-up vintage-style soul tune from his new album, “Desperate Man” — Eric Church runs down a partial list of the solutions humankind has devised to solve its problems.
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NPR
On Desperate Man, Church embodies his heroic image even more completely and convincingly than he has on the five albums that came before it.
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Vulture
Eric Church is a pro, and Desperate Man weaves excellence out of ordinary threads. Desperate Man is Eric Church’s quietest album.
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Country Exclusive
Not every song is fantastic, but every song is good, and each belongs on the album. Desperate Man is eleven tracks and thirty-seven minutes long, with no filler and avoiding the mainstream trend to cram in as many songs as possible.
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Roughstock
Desperate Man is a record from a man clearly still at the top of his game (which he’s been at for nearly his whole career) and will certainly end up as one of the most-awarded, best albums from 2018.
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Independent
Desperate Man has a grit that didn’t resonate so much on his previous albums. He seems to relish in the freedom to express his distaste at the current discourse in America.
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AP News
“Desperate Man” sounds a little too much like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” in both the pace and the hook’s refrain. But all is forgiven when the album’s sweetest song arrives with “Hippie Radio,” a heart-warming, coming-of-age track with the common thread of a fading Pontiac. It’s the kind of thing few do better than Church.
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All Music
Eric Church doesn't sound at the end of his rope on his sixth album; he sounds settled in his skin, assured that he doesn't have to try too hard. Instead of going big, the way he did on 2014's burly Outsiders, he's keeping things small, a decision that highlights the many savvy ways he expands American musical traditions even as he adheres to them. Perhaps these variations on themes are subtle, but this confident sense of sonic adventure -- when combined with Church's expert craft -- results in a satisfying album.
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Nash Country Daily
Eric Church has another Top 5 hit on his hands with “Some of It,” which is the second single from his 2018 album, Desperate Man.
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Rock 'N' Load
Church brings back that old school feel to Country music with this latest offering. With Rock and Roll music starting from Blues music this album takes that Blues feel and pulls it into the modern day. Church brings that southern charm and creates a sound that is made to be listened to on a warm summer’s night.
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Pressroom
Church’s sixth studio album, Desperate Man, available October 5th, marks the end of the longest break in his career between putting out new music. In the three years since the sudden, surprise release of Mr. Misunderstood, though, he has experienced some of the highest peaks and some of the biggest challenges in his work and in his life and most are present in this new collection of songs.
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CMT
There’s a new album champ in town — Eric Church’s Desperate Man. Besides debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s country rankings, it also bows at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 all-genres chart.
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Entertainment Focus
Overall, with Desperate Man Eric Church has made a beautifully rich, complex and layered album that’s increasingly rewarding on multiple listens. It’s got all the elements of his previous records – strong vocal range, excellent guitar playing, wicked storytelling and fantastic lyrics – but there’s also an evolution in his sound as he brings in blues, gospel, rock and soul elements, alongside country, touches, that all works perfectly together.
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102.7 Coyote Country
Church’s Desperate Man is nominated at The Academy of Country Music Awards.
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The Reviews Are In
With the release of Desperate Man, the country star has put together a collection of songs that ring true, hit hard, and will have fans thinking about the lyrical content as much as singing along.
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Kicks99
Eric Church scored two Grammy nominations this week and one of them was in the coveted category of Best Country Album for A Desperate Man.
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The Bull 95.3
Eric Church’s Desperate Man has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s country rankings, and is No. 5 on the Billboard 200 all-genres chart.
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The Heights
“Desperate Man” doesn’t sound like Eric Church at all. It has an upbeat rhythm and nonsensical lyrics—it’s totally straightforward, which is why it stands out in a sea of twisting musical mysteries. The strong drumbeat combined with Church’s angry vocals (“I’m a half-cock, full-tilt / scarred-hands-to-the-hilt / don’t-push-me, grown-ass man”) will get stuck in your head for days, and make you wish that Eric Church had stumbled across this kind of music years ago.
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Slate
What’s most notable about Desperate Man is its sideways step away from the epic, overcharged dynamics of many of Church’s past productions toward a rawer, more exposed sound. Not radically so, but enough that you notice. The guitars tend to slither rather than strike, and drums prowl and stalk instead of thundering.
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Quick Country 96.5
This record is best experienced as a whole album listening adventure. The content is mature, he knows where he's been, where's he's going, and his mind is clear & fertile with regards to his song writing. Bluesy, gnarly & stripped-down at times, but with plenty of twists and turns to convey a degree of synchronicity with his life, and the many in today's world who have been following his career.
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New England Country Music
The album contains eleven unique tracks and as expected, Church continues to deliver songs that push the boundaries of popular country music. ‘Desperate Man‘ fits perfectly into Church’s repertoire of songs, while still producing something that we haven’t heard from him before. Deep meanings, rock and soul influences, and expert songwriting make it clear that you are listening to something much more meaningful than a few catchy songs meant only for radio success.
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Udiscovermusic
The upbeat track, flavoured with Church’s usual rock influences, keyboard detail and a singalong motif, was produced by Jay Joyce and written by the singer with fellow artist and Texan music mainstay Ray Wylie Hubbard.
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The Irish Rover
Desperate Man seeks to provide a relief from the chaos which serves as a backdrop to the album’s release. While Church experiments with a variety of sources and genres to inspire his music, his album actually winds back the clock instead of moving it forward.
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The Shotgun Seat
It’s clear by now that Church is looking to be himself with his music, and “Desperate Man” is certainly that. With its swampy, southern-rock sound that has nods to The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Desperate Man” is sure to be a track that’s on repeat.
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Stereoboard
If you’re having trouble getting a handle on ‘Desperate Man’, the follow-up to Eric Church’s exceptional 2015 effort ‘Mr Misunderstood’, you’re not alone. In fact, your struggles may stem from the fact that the reformed badboy of country doesn’t seem to have a clear plan for the album either. As inspired and classy as it is messy and undercooked, this record is a bona fide head-scratcher.
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Your Life In A Song
‘Desperate Man’, a sonic ode to the Rolling Stones’ ‘Sympathy For The Devil’, is nothing less than the greatness we have come to expect from Church.
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Six Shooter Country
Church doesn’t believe that music should be put into specific genres and this album shows that, with hints of country, rock, soul and more, Desperate Man makes for an exciting listen.
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Countryfancast
“Desperate Man” is the star’s first single off of the project. Co-written by Church alongside Texas musician Ray Wylie Hubbard, the track sees Church again collaborating with producer Jay Joyce.
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NHPR
Eric Church is one of the most popular stars in country music. His new album, "Desperate Man," debuted at the top of Billboard's Country charts, but this new album is a departure from the hits he had before, perhaps as a result of a couple of life-changing experiences.
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The Penn
Though coming from tragedy, “Desperate Man” proves to bring both a good time and a sense of hope for better in the future, even if we all miss the past.
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UPROXX
There’s a simmering energy ingrained into Desperate Man that sticks to the bone and builds upon each listen to it.
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NY Country Swag
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.
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