On Nov. 6, Eric Church released his fifth studio album titled, "Mr. Misunderstood." The album came as a complete surprise; he had given no inclination about when he was planning on releasing anything until a couple of days before it appeared on iTunes, when members of his fan club received vinyl, CD, and digital copies of the album in the mail. He is the first country music artist to release a surprise album in recent years, and it is the first one iTunes has seen since Drake's, "If You're Reading This It's Too Late." The album has gained traction in the iTunes rankings ever since; it currently stands at number eight in the top album charts, and it will likely climb even higher once he starts releasing singles to country radio.

"Mr. Misunderstood" is another country music masterpiece from Church, and he has once again proved that he is one of the absolute best in the business right now. His previous work, "The Outsiders," accomplished lyrically and stylistically what very few country artists have; he shocked everyone with the rocking-and-rolling "The Outsiders," tugged at our sentimental heartstrings with "The Man Who Was Gonna Die Young" and "Give Me Back My Hometown", and threw in a classic beer-themed tune with "Cold One". The Album was by far his greatest work, and personally one of the greatest country albums I have ever heard.

"Mr. Misunderstood" brings to the table all of the great attributes of "The Outsiders." It's lyrically clever, introspective, and heartfelt. Some songs are rockers, and in others Church channels his low production, singer-songwriter side. Like his previous four albums, this one seems entirely autobiographical, and probably more so than the others. The song's title track sets the tone perfectly by giving us a look into Church's past, and its music video has already been released.

"Mistress Named Music" details the journey to finding musical success. "Round Here Buzz" is by far the most relatable for young adults, as it details getting left behind by a love whose ambitions took them elsewhere. I'd have to consider "Kill A Word" the most socially aware track. In this day and age of people taking offense to seemingly everything, Church reminds us that we still have to understand how our words can affect people. I'm expecting "Record Year" to have the most radio success because it sounds the most like the earliest days of Church tunes. "Three Year Old" will probably get the least attention out of the entire album, and wrongfully so. Those who take the time to really listen to the words of this minimalistic tune will be surprised by how much they appreciate it.

Eric Church is our generation's king of country music and anyone who fails to recognize it needs to simply listen to "Mr. Misunderstood" one time through. Once again, he has produced a classic that should be celebrated.