User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info
  • Record Label:
  • Release Date:
Mr. Misunderstood Image
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 17 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth full-length album for the country singer was recorded in a month and was a surprise release first to his fan club then to iTunes.
Buy Now
Buy on

Top Track

Record Year
Since you turned the tables on me I've been steady and learnin' lonely Keepin' this turntable spinnin' Everything from Jones to Jennings Slowly... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Nov 20, 2015
    100
    With a range of topics that cover bullying (“Kill a Word”) and women running afoul of the law (“Chattanooga Lucy”), there’s plenty to indulge in without coming away bored or feeling like you’ve heard it all before.
  2. Nov 17, 2015
    90
    Where The Outsiders was designed to dazzle, Mr. Misunderstood is built for the long haul: it settles into the soul, its pleasures immediate but also sustained.
  3. Nov 12, 2015
    80
    Recorded in about a month and surprise-released to fans, it's full of casual stunners.
  4. With strong songwriting, restrained arrangements, potent vocal work, and terrific production from Jay Joyce, Mr. Misunderstood is a deep, nuanced album that will appeal to fans of folk, country, or rock and roll in equal measure.
  5. Nov 12, 2015
    70
    The ten songs that make up the surprise new Mr. Misunderstood are a step back from the arena-scaled grandeur Church has been trading in for the past several years. Many of the songs feel like scaled-down counterparts to some of the best tracks on The Outsiders.
  6. Dec 3, 2015
    70
    There are few suprises on an Eric Church album, but it includes excellent vocals, sophisticated musical choices, and strong storytelling chops. It’s a good thing these things haven’t changed.
  7. Nov 12, 2015
    70
    The album, a love letter to his influences, is the gentlest of Mr. Church’s releases, the one that least wears his rowdy tendencies on its sleeve.

See all 8 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Oct 8, 2017
    10
    I'm a huge Eric Church fan, so I knew I had to check this album out when it randomly dropped one week in November, 2015. There are ten tracksI'm a huge Eric Church fan, so I knew I had to check this album out when it randomly dropped one week in November, 2015. There are ten tracks on this album and I love them all. Eric really started experimenting with his music in this one, more so than in his previous album, The Outsiders. Chattanooga Lucy, one of my favorites on the album, is a southern rock song with some funk mixed in that's about a woman in Chattanooga that he just can't resist (some think it's actually about music and how he keeps coming back to it. Based on the other songs in the album, I could see this as most of the songs seem to be focused on how prominent music has been in his life). Mistress Named Music is a ballad reflecting on his love affair with music throughout his life since a young age. Mr. Misunderstood, the title track, is about how he found himself in music and it made him not feel like an outcast. Record Year is about a lover leaving him and how he found comfort in music in the wake of being alone. Record Year is one that affected me personally as around the time the album came out, my girlfriend broke up with me and the song helped me get through those tough times. I could go on all day about the content of each of the songs and how different they are from most other country songs, but the point is Eric Church wasn't afraid to experiment both with sound and lyrical content of the songs on this album. I honestly can't recommend this album, or any of Eric's albums, enough. He's a fantastic artist and a great songwriter. Expand