Cold One-Eric Church (Capitol)

One of the things that bores me to the point of irritation is the corporate arrangements we hear on so many records. The instruments are all a mish-mash. There’s an abbreviated arena-style guitar solo somewhere in the middle. Watch it on the VU and the meter remains pegged between 95 and 100% start to finish. It’s like the spouse serving up the same danged spaghetti dish a dozen times a month. Blah. This one ain’t that. The arrangement is playful, surprising and joyful from the first notes to the last. It’s like walking into a little side street restaurant, ordering the house special and being presented with a dish that is a most sumptuous surprise, made more so by all the little appetizers and colorful supporting dishes that the chef delivers to enhance your satisfaction. You walk out with a smile, knowing you’ve just been served by true master. Everything about this record great. Church is the master of his domain.