You know, there is a few books out there with “point-words” to use with songs. For country music, that can basically be narrowed down to a chapter. You’ve got:
Jesus, Bible, God, America, Damn, Mama, Believe, Beer, Whiskey, Church, Cowboy, Boots, Redneck, Daddy, Flag, (you can mix and match as you will).
Eric Church apparently bought this book, or else his record company bought it for him. His debut album, Sinners Like Me, is for the most part a paint-by-numbers exercise in “redneck marketing”, with a couple glimmers of unique talent worth listening to. Lead-off “Before She Does” boasts an infectious groove, but lyrically falls into the “hillbilly-ad” motive in which said “hillbilly” tries to straddle the fence between “holier-than-thou” and “rebel”. This is repeated again in “Guys Like Me”, “Sinners Like Me”, and most blatantly “Pledge Allegiance To The Hag”, which takes it a step farther and does the clichéd “bring out the dinosaur for a few notes to make me legit”, this time with “patriotic rebel” Merle Haggard. I mean, as good as he was, between this and Gretchen Wilson’s god-awful “Politically Uncorrect”, I have no taste for that kind of ilk any more. As for first single “How ‘Bout You”, I guess the novelty of it makes it more of a winner than put in the context of a whole album of this stuff. I mean, if you’re really a bad-ass, you don’t really have to keep reminding us all you’re a bad-ass. In fact, Church must’ve ran out of clichés so to use “trust-fund” as a derogative on two songs (and isn’t your redneck republican politicians that are so intent on protecting such trust funds?). Out of this drivel, only “These Boots” somewhat succeeds with its toned-down reflection, and “Can’t Take It With You”, which has a hook that just won’t quit.
Now, as I said before, amongst this “product” is two real keepers, and what I hope are a sign of Church’s true talent. “Lightning” depicts a death-row inmate’s last moments, and it’s told with such a solemnity and regret that I was startled upon it eight songs in. In five minutes, he portrays the effect not only on the inmate, but his family and the family of his murder victim that is in no way preachy or aggressive. The second (and lesser) gem is second single “Two Pink Lines” which effectively does the John Mellencamp/Tom Cochrane treatment to a young couple’s crisis with waiting to see if the “rabbit died”.
Sinners Like Me is unfortunately too commercial and predictable to recommend as a whole. But if you can find it on the cheap, or want to head to I-Tunes or the like, it’s definitely worth picking up the two good tracks on here.
Grade: C-
Best Cuts: “Lightning”, “Two Pink Lines”
Weakest Links: “Guys Like Me”, “Pledge Allegiance To The Hag”, “Sinners Like Me”
Sinners Like Me hit #29 pop albums and #7 country albums.
"How Bout You" hit #85 pop and #14 country singles.
"Two Pink Lines" made #19 country singles.
"Guys Like Me" so far made #124 pop and #23 country singles.
Listen: "Lightning" (link)
Buy: You can pick up Sinners Like Me at websites like here and here.
And here's the clip for first single "How Bout You"....
Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.comnext up the clip for "Two Pink Lines"...
Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.comfinally the current single, "Guys Like Me"...
Music Video Codes By Music Jesus.com
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