Mr. Misunderstood, Eric Church's fifth studio album, was released on November 3, 2015, exclusively to his fan club, and to the general public on November 4, 2015. With no prior promotion or warning before its release, it took country music fans by surprise. Now, two years later, it's still one of my all-time favorite albums ever made. Let's talk about why it's so great.
The Emotion
Mr. Misunderstood is packed with emotion. From the titular track, Mr. Misunderstood, and Mistress Named Music to Round Here Buzz and Record Year, you're bound to be moved in some way. Eric Church has such a way with words and he combines the lyrics so well with perfectly matched music, you really feel the emotions that are heavily laced in all ten tracks. I particularly like this line from Mistress Named Music, in which Church reflects on his music career and the long road that led him to where he is now:
"With a guitar full of freedom and a head full of lines / That nightlife full of demons has been a hell of a ride."
The Life Lessons
If you've never listened to Three Year Old, I urge you to give it a shot, even if you're not much of a country fan. Church's way of bringing in lessons you can learn from the innocence of childhood is fantastic and really puts things into perspective. My favorite line is, coincidentally, the opening to the song. "Use every crayon color that you've got," really speaks to me because I think it's important to do the best you can in life with what you have. Unfortunately, not everyone in life has the same "crayon colors," but that shouldn't stop you from trying to make a masterpiece with what you have.
The Theme of Music's Impact On Life
My favorite part of Mr. Misunderstood is the way Eric Church writes about the way music plays such a big part in life. In the title track, he talks about his journey from starting out as a young, music-obsessed outcast to becoming the music legend that he is today. Record Year is about a breakup and using music to escape the loneliness, whether it be through discovery or rediscovery of favorite artists, albums, and songs. There's also Chattanooga Lucy, which is my favorite song from the album. In my opinion, the song acts as a metaphor for Church's relationship with music and how he can't get enough of it. This is evident in the line "Break me easy or bend me bluesy / Hold on tight or hold on loosely / Keep me comin' around, comin' around." Later in the song, he says he comes undone every time he gets some kick drum and guitar strum, further reinforcing the previously mentioned metaphor of being obsessed with music.
It's been two years since his most recent album, so here's to hoping the Chief is working on his next great album. (Hopefully, it will be even better than his previous work!)
