Desperate Man (album) explained

Desperate Man
Type:studio
Artist:Eric Church
Cover:Church desperate.jpg
Studio:Neon Cross
Genre:Outlaw country
Length:36:41
Label:
Producer:Jay Joyce
Prev Title:Mr. Misunderstood
Prev Year:2015
Next Title:Heart & Soul
Next Year:2021

Desperate Man (stylized in all lowercase) is the sixth album by American country music singer Eric Church. It was released via EMI Nashville and Snakefarm Records on October 5, 2018. Following the success of 2015's Mr. Misunderstood, Church reteamed with long-time producer Jay Joyce to work on new material for his next country album. The album garnered positive reviews from music critics. Desperate Man debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number five on the Billboard 200, spawning three singles: the title track, "Some of It" and "Monsters". It was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

History

Church announced the album's release on July 13, 2018, via a livestream to his fanclub, the Church Choir. The lead single, which is the title track, was shipped to radio a day prior to this announcement. The album consists of 11 songs, and Church revealed the tracklisting on a pre-order page on his website. As with all of his previous albums, it was produced by Jay Joyce.[1] Church said that the album's title came from the emotions he felt after the 2017 Las Vegas shooting; he told Rolling Stone that "I got a little bit desperate in there to just find an album, because it was not fucking happening."[2]

Critical reception

Desperate Man received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 80, based on 8 reviews.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated it 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "Instead of going big, the way he did on 2014's burly Outsiders, he's keeping things small, a decision that highlights the many savvy ways he expands American musical traditions even as he adheres to them. Perhaps these variations on themes are subtle, but this confident sense of sonic adventure -- when combined with Church's expert craft -- results in a satisfying album."[3] Erlewine also reviewed the album for Pitchfork, where he called it one of the "most modest but poignant albums" of Church's career and "the sound of a renegade settling into his mature period". Erlewine also noted that the "deliberate decision not to indulge in a grand gesture—combined with the consciously compact scale of Desperate Man—means this album seems smaller than every record he's made since 2011's Chief. That modesty is the key to its very appeal: This is an album designed not for the moment but the long haul." Vulture reviewer Craig Jenkins wrote that Church "excellence out of ordinary threads", while highlighting it as Church's "quietest" record to date and praising many of the songs' lyrics.[4]

Meet-Country.com stated "His current sound is a natural progression from his previous works but yet it all still ties together."[5]

Desperate Man received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 53rd Country Music Association Awards, ultimately losing to Girl (2019) by Maren Morris.[6]

Commercial performance

Desperate Man debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, with 103,000 copies sold (116,000 in equivalent album units). It is Church's fifth top ten entry in the chart.[7] It also debuted atop the Top Country Albums chart.[8] On the Billboard 200, the album left the top 100 on the week of November 24, 2018, and has spent 22 weeks on the chart.[9] [10] It has sold 245,100 copies in the United States as of March 2020.[11] Desperate Man was certified gold by the RIAA in the US on August 3, 2020. In Canada, the album debuted and peaked at number five on the Canadian Albums chart for the week of October 20, 2018.[12] Desperate Man was certified gold by Music Canada in Canada on March 26, 2021.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the Desperate Man liner notes.[13]

Musicians

Production

Imagery

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] 63
US Billboard 2005

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[15] 40
Chart (2019)Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[16] 22

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Everything We Know About Eric Church's New Album, 'Desperate Man'. Liptak. Carena. July 12, 2018. The Boot. September 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929205605/https://theboot.com/eric-church-desperate-man-details-information/. September 29, 2020. live.
  2. Eric Church on New Song 'Desperate Man: 'I Was a Little Lost for a While'. Moss. Marisa. July 12, 2018. Rolling Stone. September 27, 2018. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20190616104324/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/eric-church-announces-new-album-desperate-man-698600/. June 16, 2019. live.
  3. Web site: Desperate Man – Eric Church. AllMusic. Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. October 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20230510180457/https://www.allmusic.com/album/desperate-man-mw0003199257. May 10, 2023. live.
  4. Web site: On Desperate Man, Eric Church's Devastating Pen is Pushed to Center Stage. Craig. Jenkins. October 4, 2018. Vulture. October 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181108122120/https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/review-eric-churchs-album-a-desperate-man.html. November 8, 2018. live.
  5. Web site: Eric Church – Desperate Man Album Review. Meet Country. October 4, 2018.
  6. Web site: CMA Awards 2019 winners: See who won big at country music's biggest night. Melas. Chloe. CNN. November 14, 2019. January 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20230228012055/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/13/entertainment/cmas-2019-nashville-preview/index.html. February 28, 2023. live.
  7. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper's 'A Star Is Born' Soundtrack Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. October 14, 2018. October 15, 2018. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20181021171835/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8479831/a-star-is-born-soundtrack-no-1-debut-billboard-200. October 21, 2018. live.
  8. Top Country Albums: October 20, 2018. Billboard. November 4, 2018. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20181017051626/https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-albums/2018-10-20. October 17, 2018. live.
  9. Billboard 200: November 24, 2018. Billboard. January 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20230709175802/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2018-11-24/. July 9, 2023. live.
  10. Billboard 200: August 17, 2019. Billboard. January 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20221116180050/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2019-08-17/. November 16, 2022. live.
  11. Web site: Top 10 Country Albums Pure Sales Chart: March 9, 2020. Roughstock. Matt. Bjorke. March 10, 2020. March 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20231004000844/http://www.roughstock.com/news/2020/03/44165-top-10-country-albums-pure-sales-chart-march-9-2020. October 4, 2023. live.
  12. Billboard Canadian Albums: October 20, 2018. Billboard. January 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20190424142007/https://www.billboard.com/charts/canadian-albums/2018-10-20. April 24, 2019. live.
  13. Desperate Man. Eric Church. EMI Nashville. 2018. booklet. B002873302.
  14. Web site: ARIA Chart Watch #494. auspOp. October 13, 2018. October 13, 2018. January 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210108090724/https://www.auspop.com.au/2018/10/aria-chart-watch-494/. dead.
  15. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. July 14, 2020. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124210801/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2018/top-country-albums. November 24, 2020. live.
  16. Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. July 14, 2020. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20201128033243/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/top-country-albums. November 28, 2020. live.