Description
Eric Church – Soul – Vinyl Record
Released on April 23, 2021, Soul is the third and final installment of Eric Church’s ambitious triple album project, Heart & Soul. Recorded during a month-long retreat in the mountains of North Carolina, this album captures Church’s unfiltered creativity, musical exploration, and genre-blurring instincts. Unlike Heart (which leaned into classic rock and country) and & (which was an exclusive album for his fan club), Soul feels looser, groovier, and more experimental, incorporating funk, R&B, gospel, and rock influences alongside his signature country storytelling.
With its soulful swagger, rich instrumentation, and anthemic choruses, Soul is one of Church’s most adventurous records, showcasing his willingness to push beyond the confines of mainstream country. It’s an album that celebrates the joy of music itself, embodying passion, freedom, and raw emotion.
Soul is playful, funky, and full of life, with Church stepping outside his traditional outlaw-country persona to explore bluesy grooves, gospel harmonies, and electrifying rock rhythms. Thematically, it embraces love, passion, music, and the unbreakable connection between them all.
While Heart had a more introspective, singer-songwriter vibe, Soul is the party record—meant to be played loud, danced to, and felt deep in your bones. From the horn-infused stomp of “Break It Kind of Guy” to the slinky, Prince-like groove of “Look Good and You Know It”, the album radiates confidence and joy.
Key Tracks and Highlights
“Rock & Roll Found Me” – The perfect opener, this track is a love letter to rock music. With fuzzy guitar riffs, bluesy swagger, and anthemic energy, Church reflects on how music shaped his life.
“Look Good and You Know It” – One of the most playful and funky songs in Church’s catalog, this track oozes R&B and soul influences, channeling a mix of Prince, Bruno Mars, and bluesy country swagger.
“Bright Side Girl” – A laid-back, dreamy love song with a sun-soaked melody that feels like driving with the windows down. The airy instrumentation and smooth vocal delivery make it one of the album’s most feel-good moments.
“Break It Kind of Guy” – A horn-driven, foot-stomping jam about breaking the rules and doing things your own way. The funky rhythm, sassy lyrics, and loose, live-band energy make it one of the most infectious songs on the album.
“Hell of a View” – The album’s biggest hit and a sweeping, romantic anthem about chasing adventure with someone you love. With its soaring chorus and heartland rock influences, it became one of Church’s most celebrated love songs.
“Where I Wanna Be” – A deep, groove-heavy track with a hypnotic rhythm and bluesy vocal delivery. It’s sultry, mysterious, and unlike anything else on the album, showing how much Church enjoys pushing boundaries.
“Jenny” – A raw, stripped-down, blues-country song, with Church’s voice front and center. The loose, almost jam-session feel makes it stand out as one of the most organic and heartfelt tracks.
“Bad Mother Trucker” – A gritty, rock-infused tribute to a rebellious female trucker, this track has a swaggering, bluesy groove that wouldn’t sound out of place on a ZZ Top record.
“Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones” – The album closes with a story-driven ballad about a young musician following in his famous father’s footsteps. It’s one of Church’s best narrative-driven songs, showing his gift for weaving Southern mythology into country music.
Soul debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart, proving that Church’s fans embraced his genre-blurring experiment. Critics praised its risk-taking and musical diversity, with Rolling Stone calling it a “loose, free-spirited jam session that highlights Church’s artistic freedom.” Fans loved its playful energy, especially tracks like “Look Good and You Know It” and “Break It Kind of Guy.”
While Soul may not have had the deep emotional weight of Heart, it was the perfect counterbalance—an album that celebrates music, passion, and the thrill of the moment.
Soul stands as one of Eric Church’s boldest musical statements, proving that country music doesn’t have to stay in one lane. By embracing funk, R&B, and rock influences, Church carved out a space where storytelling and groove go hand in hand.
As part of the larger Heart & Soul project, it showcases Church’s willingness to experiment, take risks, and break away from mainstream expectations. Where many country artists stick to formulas, Church thrives in the unexpected, and Soul is the ultimate example of that.
Soul is a celebration of music, life, and love, blending funky grooves, heartland rock, and smooth country storytelling into a record that feels loose, confident, and effortlessly cool. Whether you’re drawn to its slinky R&B moments, bluesy rock anthems, or soul-infused ballads, it’s an album that invites you to let go and feel the music.
Nine new songs including the hit single “Hell Of A View”
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Rock & Roll Found Me
Look Good And You Know It
Bright Side Girl
Break It Kind Of Guy
Hell Of A View
Where I Wanna Be
Jenny
Bad Mother Trucker
Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones
