Maren Morris has been making quite a lot of waves lately, with her self-titled debut EP and album 'Hero' receiving a great deal of praise from critics and industry peers alike. The Texas firebrand released her EP, which received endorsements from country superstars like Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, and Charles Kelley (of Lady Antebellum), late last year and has been on a roll ever since. Unlike the majority of current mainstream country songs which tend to find the narrators touting their so-called Christian faith, all the while boasting about sinful lifestyles and activities, the narrator in “My Church” isn’t trying to find middle ground or even trying to pass off as a lukewarm Christian. Instead, the narrator is totally upfront and honest about her not-so-faith-filled lifestyle, explaining that her religion or church is country radio.
Morris opens the song with attention-grabbing, bold statements as she sings, “I’ve cussed on a Sunday/ I’ve cheated and I’ve lied/ I’ve fallen down from grace/ a few too many times.” Morris goes on to explain that though she’s a “sinner”, she finds “holy redemption” when she puts her car in drive. The song’s lyrical content is creative and witty, and incredibly catchy, made all the more infectious by the country meets rhythm and blues production. The chorus, “Can I get a hallelujah/ can I get an amen/ feels like the holy ghost runnin’ through ya/ when I play the Highway FM/ I’ll find my soul revival singing every single verse/ yeah I guess that’s my church,”has a gospel choir feel to it, and is not only catchy, but guaranteed to get listeners to sing along.
The song’s best stanza is the one following the first chorus, “when Hank brings the sermon/ and Cash leads the choir/ it gets my cold, cold heart burnin’/ hotter than a ring of fire.” It manages to pay homage to two of Country music’s most famous legends (and arguably two of its founding fathers), all the while upping its creative game. Maren goes on to close out the song, saying that whenever “this wonderful world gets heavy and I need to find my escape”, she just keeps “the wheels rollin’, radio scrolling” until her sins wash away.
“My Church” is indeed the best song on Maren’s EP, leagues above the rest of the tracks. Those of you who have read my review of the EP already know how I felt about it, and for those that haven’t, you should know that I was in the minority and wasn’t impressed. As a whole, I felt the EP was lacking, lyrically and production wise. Aside from “My Church”, the EP is basically bubble gum pop, but one good thing about that is that it makes “My Church” stand out, and gives it the spotlight it deserves. I have no doubt that it will find success. With so much support from critics and industry peers alike, the single was in prime position to climb the charts and make headway at radio, and eventually reached the top 10.
I think it’s safe to say that Maren Morris will be sticking around and is definitely on the list of “One’s To Watch”. Go have a listen to “My Church” and see why!
Originally posted here.
