Carolina

Country music outlaw Eric Church blasted onto the scene in 2006 with his jaw-dropping debut effort, Sinners Like Me. The North Carolina native quickly earned a dedicated following and a reputation for putting on a killer live show. Carolina, the singer/songwriter's 2009 sophomore release, is as raw and real as they come out of Nashville -- where style is often passed off as substance. Like Sinners Like Me, Carolina is a from-the-gut collection filled to the brim with traditionally rooted country music that is masterfully tempered with Southern baked rock. From the floor rattling fury of "Ain't Killed Me Yet" to the heart tugging honesty of "Those I've Loved" Church soars higher here than he did on his critically praised debut. The characters who live and breathe between the chords and melodies in Church's songs are as authentic as the well-worn frets on his acoustic guitar. The guy on the chugging "Lotta Boot Left to Fill," who claims Johnny Cash would have "whipped" the ass of those country posers who insist on name-checking the late "Man In Black" in their songs, bears a strong resemblance to Church himself. Loud guitars, gritty vocals, and more soul than a Sunday morning sermon best sums up Carolina. ~ Todd Sterling|