419. Eric Church, "Chief"

 


Man, I don't know.  I realize that this whole list is arbitrary, just as ranking anything is subjective and arbitrary, but I jsut do not believe that this album is better than "Coal Miner's Daughter" (440) or even "Lucinda Williams" (426).  I'm willing to take it on its own terms for what it is, but it really just didn't work for me.  This is going to sound like a lame-ass "but I have black friends" disclaimer but I really do love country music and this would not be what I reach for when I want to hear some country.

As country does, there are a lot of songs about drinking!  I do not have a problem with that, either the activity or the topic, but it's such a country cliche that it's kinda funny.  So we've got "Drink in my Hand," "Hungover and Hard Up," and, fuck it, let's just name songs directly after booze, "Jack Daniels."

Also, this isn't really country music.  I'm not saying that like "everything after Hank Sr. and Buck Owens is fake country."  I'm saying that this is such a sophisticated blend of country and rock that it's hard to tell where the country ends and the rock begins.  There is a song literally titled "Springsteen" on this album.  Which is fine, but I am given to understand that this guy portrays himself as pretty straight country and I don't think this is it. 


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