In 2021, Eric Church released Heart & Soul, a three album project with each collection being named after one of the three words of the title.
Each album had their own highs and lows, with the project as a whole being received with mixed reactions from the public. However, most diehard Eric Church fans adore many of the songs featured on the three records nonetheless.
Some of the fan-favorites on the project include Heart On fire off of Heart and Hell Of A View off of Soul, which is currently certified 2x platinum and went number one at country radio- the most popular track across all three records.
Many artists think of their albums similar to how they think of their children- they can’t choose favorites. Funny enough, Church has revealed which of the albums is his personal favorite and why his choice differs from his family’s.
During an appearance on Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly, he revealed:
“I like Heart. Heart’s my favorite… I’m a kid who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and it’s got a more southern heartland thing that I like”.
Heart absolutely delivers an 80’s rock, Bruce Springsteen-ish sound while also remaining true to its name, offering some more deeply emotional, nostalgic moments.
The leading piece of the project feels the most like an Eric Church album based on his past records. It fits his persona well, seemingly feeling the closest to Church’s style. He continues:
“My wife’s is Soul. She’s more R&B and likes the dance stuff and all of that stuff on it…. and me singing falsetto, which is weird but it’s her thing”.
Soul gives off, as Church mentions, a much funkier, R&B influenced feel that makes it the most “fun” of the three. It fits it’s name perfectly, offering some 60’s and 70’s Motown-esque soul that is not commonly found in mainstream country music.
Despite it’s separation from Church’s signature style, his wife stands as confirmation that the record doesn’t need to follow the same path as his past projects to find an audience that will relate.
Interestingly, his children hold differing opinions than both Church and his wife, further displaying the wide reach of the project in terms of relatability:
“It’s funny my kids like the & because it’s a little different, you know, it’s a little more subtle”.
It’s wild to hear that his kids would enjoy & more than the others, especially since there’s a case to be made that it’s the most mature piece of the project. While it’s the shortest entry, it packs a punch in terms of its depth of emotion.
Who knows? Maybe the Church kids are just old souls like their pops.
The difference in opinions amongst Church’s family somewhat shows what he was searching for in the albums. There’s supposed to be something for everyone and each record aims to evoke different reactions, memories, and feelings.
The Springsteen singer has never been known to follow the crowd, often giving off an “I’ll do what I want” type of attitude, so it’s no surprise that, in a year following a global pandemic, he’d release a project that is so ambitious and sonically diverse.
Listen to Church’s discussion about the project here: