The Lack of Heart and Soul Found on “Heart & Soul”

There’s a weird, melancholy feeling that occurs when, while listening to an artist you’ve adored and soaked in for years, you find yourself not connecting with the music. Circumstances change. Artists move on. Fans find other budding stars to latch on to. But as a fan, there are always those artists you’d follow no matter the direction the music takes.

So what happens when the artist takes a direction that’s not appealing or, dare I say, boring? I suppose the standard talking point goes something along the lines of, “Oh, it’s an artist’s choice to choose the direction of the music. If he or she is happy with the music than that’s all that really matters.” Or, “This just isn’t for me. But I’m glad everyone else is enjoying it!” But no. Not this time. I just can’t square the recording, marketing, and production of Eric Church’s Heart & Soul with his career trajectory, track-record, and previous attitude toward the album-making process.

I want to preface this piece by apologizing if it comes off as overly-critical or, at times, snobby in the context of my own relationship with Eric Church’s career. Not everyone has the same connection. And some fellow fans that do have that same connection are still finding Heart & Soul an enjoyable listen. There’s nothing wrong with that experience. But as for my own experience with the triple album and all of the marketing surrounding it? At its best, Heart & Soul is an average collection of music with a few head-scratching moments and a time here and there when I’m reminded of Eric Church’s excellence. At its worst? It’s boring, lazy, and languid with no clear direction and an unfortunate lack of heart and soul.

First, let’s talk about some of the high moments. “Crazyland” is spectacular. The lyrics are out of the Tom T. Hall and Harlan Howard school of country songwriting. Old-school Nashville. Short, succint, and to-the-point with a full-circle story. And, unlike most of the album, the production on “Crazyland” sounds full without being overwhelming or sounding like the song was recorded in a tin can. The slide guitar is distinctly reminiscent of Isbell’s “Speed Trap Town” in the best way possible, and Church’s vocal has him sounding at his most *country* on the three albums. I’m confident in saying that in a decade when we look back at the best country music of the 2020s, “Crazyland” will be a top ten song.

Another song that I happen to love has, for some reason, been ranked low by most critics and fans. “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones” is a song full of references to Lynyrd Skynyrd and their classic songs. Featuring lots of acoustic strumming and soft harmonies that wouldn’t sound out of place around the campfire, “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones” sounds so good on the ears. And the final line of the song left me with chills the first time I heard it. I’m not quite sure why it hasn’t been well-received. Maybe people aren’t aware of the story unfolding? That would be my only guess.

“Hell of a View” is another standout. First of all, it’s an excellent choice for a single, and an immediate singalong from the first listen. One thing I particularily appreciate about “Hell of a View” is how it could fit into any era of Eric Church. The sound is decidedly Carolina-era, but the songwriting is both mature and nostaligc enough to cover years of Church’s career.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention “Heart on Fire.” I think some of my disappointment for Heart & Soul does stem from hearing “Heart on Fire” before the release. It’s a Sinners Like Me and Carolina kind of a song from Eric Church. Indeed, my original thought when I heard “Heart on Fire” was how it wouldn’t have sounded out of place on the Caldwell County EP. It’s not the deepest song, but it’s a jam-and-a-half that begs to be played at 10.

“Stick That In Your Country Song,” in a vacuum, is one of my favorite songs of the album. But we’re going to hold off on that discussion for later in the piece.

One of the issues that stood out to me most when listening to Heart & Soul was the lack of detail in the songwriting. The lack of riveting, personal lyrics lent itself to an album that seemed cold and removed from Church’s previous records. Even louder albums from Church’s past like The Outsiders contained tracks like “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young” and “Dark Side.” And on Carolina, which is rated low in terms of substance by Church’s fanbase, we were given “Where She Told Me To Go” and “For Those I’ve Loved.”

And yet, other than “Crazyland,” the songwriting on Heart & Soul trends toward being derivative and full of fluff. “Through My Ray Bans” is a nice attempt at nostalgia for the fans and a beautiful tribute to those who tragically lost their lives at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, but it ultimately becomes a more rootsy version of Jason Aldean’s “Lights Go Down” or Charles Kelley’s “The Driver.” “Jenny” is a great road-trip song, but the detail is no better than something found in an 80s one-hit-wonder. “Bright Side Girl” is one of the worst offenders on the triple album with a totally undeveloped story and overused metaphors for country songwriting. Along the same vein as “Bright Side Girl,” we have “Love Shine Down.” Not even the annoying production can distract from the lyrics that sound like a Kenny Chesney-throwaway track from the early 2000s.

And, speaking of production, let’s dive in to the sound of the album. We’ve long ago stopped the discussion (and rightfully so) of how we should categorize Eric Church’s music. Aside from the album sounding like it was recorded inside a tin can, I have serious reservations and questions about some of the production decisions. Why? Because I’m not quite sure what the aim was. Did Church want an 80s-inspired album? Did he want a groovy, Motown effort? The reason I’m asking is not because either of those choices would be wrong but because for whatever direction or sound he was going for, the production fails to get that sound across. It’s a frustrating cluster of influences and a hodgepodge of half-hearted attempts to be unique. I believe that in Church’s path to become an artist who always zigs when people expect him to zag, he ended up losing himself in the journey and thus ended up losing direction for Heart & Soul.

I mentioned on Twitter that I firmly believe Eric Church knows deep down that Heart & Soul didn’t turn out the way he wanted. And that, in turn, is why we were subjected to the endless marketing and promotion in a way Church has never done before. Never before has Church felt the need to explain or excuse the decisions made on an album as he did in this Rolling Stone interview. Church even says, “This was, the album made me. I didn’t make the album.” Does that interview sound like the Eric Church we’ve heard for years? He’s always let the music speak for itself and allowed the fans to judge the music. Instead, we’ve got him talking about a frickin’ rock opera with the grating production of “Heart of the Night” and “Russian Roulette,” two tracks that could have been classic Church songs that were absolutely destroyed and pulverized by the production.

As a quick aside, I mentioned earlier that “Stick That In Your Country Song” was a standout track on the triple album. Unfortunately, the song rings a bit hollow given the nature of the rest of the music. “Stick That In Your Country Song” is about rebellion. Sticking to your values and singing about what you know is fact. Sticking up for the working class and those left behind, from the veteran returning home to those lost to the temptation of gang violence. As the first release, “Stick That In Your Country Song” planted an idea (right or wrong) that Church’s new album would address societal issues and problems a-la a Kristofferson, Bingham, or Margo Price. Instead, we were treated to songs that the Eric Church of a decade ago would never have touched. Thus the whole point of “Stick That In Your Country Song” was rendered moot.

So what’s next? I suppose I’ll step away from the triple album for awhile and revisit Heart & Soul down the road. “Crazyland” will still be on my best-of playlists, and I’ll drive down the road with the windows open blasting “Heart on Fire.” “Hell of a View” has a special place in my heart. But other than that, nothing here is really going to stick with me. And that’s painful to say as a fan who has been with Church since Sinners Like Me. And I know I don’t have a *right* to demand Church make music exactly how I want it. But as a fan, I do have a right to demand excellence from an artist who has always given us nothing but his best and holds his artistry to a higher standard.

Eric Church isn’t going anywhere, and neither is my fandom. But as I said at the beginning of the piece, circumstances change. Music speaks to us differently. And with those changes also come a shift in an artist’s fanbase. Different people may now find Church at a different point in his career and connect with the music in a way I just can’t. Maybe now Eric Church’s music for me becomes a nice slice of nostalgia full of hearty and healthy memories of years gone past. Or maybe his next album throws me off guard in a way I didn’t see coming again. But in a good way. You just never know with Chief.