Hailing from Granite Falls, NC, Eric Church is an up and coming star in the country music world. He started writing at the age of 13 and has come a long way since then, even teaching himself to play the guitar. While attending college, he started a band with his roommate, brother, and another guitarist calling themselves The Mountain Boys. After two years of college, he was ready to move on to Nashville, but after speaking to his dad, they made a deal that if Eric graduated, his dad would support him for the first 6 month while in Nashville.
When Eric arrived in town, he was naive to the ways of the record business and was forced to get a day job after the 6 month deal with his father. None the less, with hard work and time, he was able to secure his first contract with Sony. Shortly after, Eric signed with Capitol in 2006. With his first album, Sinners like Me, three of his songs were able to reach into the top 20.
Riding high on the back of his first commercial success, Eric releases Carolina. His singing style and voice are reminiscent of great country stars Tracy Byrd and Tracy Lawrence. I’m kind of surprised his name isn’t Tracy as a matter of fact. I was particularly impressed with Carolina’s crisp, clear production and clarity. Eric’s voice is amazing, and he writes and sings with heart and passion, which the production brings out in full force, making him shine.
Certainly, the first track, “Ain’t Killed Me Yet”, captured my ears with a commanding tone. I found myself listening with a true interest and was never let down. All of the 12 tracks had something to offer, and I never felt like skipping to the next song. This is truly a great album and I didn’t find a song that I didn’t like. Eric Church definitely deserves to be placed on top of the pile or pushed to the forefront of country music. And I believe that there will be a few hits on the Top 20 with this album as well.
Reviewed by Michael Albaugh
