The first part of
Eric Church
's
Heart & Soul
trilogy --
Soul
appeared a week after
Heart
, with
&
releasing to members of the fan club Church Choir in between the two --
works as its own distinct entity, a tight collection of nine songs that are connected by attitude as much as theme. Make no mistake, matters of the heart do indeed factor heavily on
. The word appears in three song titles, plays a major part in the chorus of the bittersweet ballad "People Break," and most of the songs feel reflective if not quite contemplative. Pro that he is,
Church
realizes that even a brief LP (on its own,
clocks in at just over a half hour) can't stay in one gear for too long. "Stick That in Your Country Song" works up a head of indignant steam, and "Bunch of Nothing" provides some welcome boogie toward the end of the record, while lead single "Heart On Fire" is designed to be cranked loud on a long highway. Despite these moments,
veers toward the introspective and tenderhearted, territory that feels like home for
. He retains his gift for telling emotional details, not to mention his knack for conveying the emotional punch of music ("Russian Roulette"), skills that enliven an album that otherwise stands as a testament to
the Craftsman. Where his albums of the 2010s were generally marked by his increasing ambition, a drive that saw him expand and deepen his purview,
sees
settling into a groove, crafting song by song, then assembling the results as three interlinked albums. Maybe this approach doesn't deliver the knockout blow of a
Mr. Misunderstood
but it does result in sturdy, handsome music that seems more impressive the longer it's been around. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine