Following the mixed reception of The Outsiders, Eric Church had a decision to make: would he double down on the rock-inspired album or go back to his country roots?
He instead decided to diverge into a myriad of different sounds including cajun rock, gospel, country and heartland rock which resulted in one of the most poignant, diverse country records of the decade.
The story of Mr. Misunderstood’s release is an interesting one. Instead of letting the press, media outlets and critics receive the album first, Church decided to let members of his fan club, aptly titled “The Church Choir” receive the album early.
On Nov. 3, 2015, all paying members of The Church Choir received a download of the record. Later that day, Church took the stage at the 49th Annual CMA Awards and premiered the title track live. After his performance aired, the album then became available to download to the public on Nov. 4, 2015.
An album with this grand of a release had the tall task of living up to the hype built around this surprise record. To say that it lived up would simply be an understatement. Not only is Mr. Misunderstood Church’s best album to date, but it’s also one of the best country albums of the 2010s. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more complete, cohesive and compelling record to come out during this era. I’d go as far as to say this is the finest country album of the decade, outside of Jason Isbell’s Southeastern.
Church shows an incredible amount of growth and maturity in this tight 10-track album. Unlike some of his weaker albums, Mr. Misunderstood covers a lot of subject matter in little time. There are themes of heartbreak, fatherhood, love, belonging, artistry, and even murder strewn throughout the record’s 39-minute runtime. There aren’t many albums in any genre that can take the listener on such a roller coaster of emotions, but Mr. Misunderstood does it expertly.
Critically, Mr. Misunderstood was a darling for Church, netting him nominations for best album at the 2016 ACM and CMA Awards. He would go on to win Album of the Year at the CMA Awards, marking his second win and first since Chief. The title track would also win Video of the Year at the ACM Awards.
Commercially, the album netted Church a platinum, #1 hit with “Record Year” (3x). The three other singles, “Kill a Work” (1x), “Round Here Buzz” (3x) and the title track (1x) would also be Top 20, platinum hits for the “Springsteen“ singer. The album itself would also be certified platinum by the RIAA on Jan. 3, 2018.
Listen to “Mr. Misunderstood,” “Knives of New Orleans” and “Record Year” here: