Surprise album releases are no long reserved for rappers and pop stars whose labels don’t want to promote their garbage LP.

Earlier this week, the internet was lit on fire after reports of people who belonged to the fan club of country singer Eric Church were receiving a new, 10-song album in their email. The record was never publicly announced, and Church himself did not comment on its existence for the first 24 hours after the emails were sent. Then, during last night’s CMA Awards presentation, Church let the cat out of the bag.

Mr. Misunderstood is a new record Eric Church recorded with his seasoned road band earlier this year. The album was indeed released to fan club members a full day before it was made known to the public, but the record is now available on all digital retailers. The lead single also happens to be the title track, and that particular song is the one Church chose to perform during his CMA appearance last night. You can view footage of the performance below.

The release of Mr. Misunderstood was a shock to everyone, but having already had time to spin the record twice I will tell you right away it’s a perfect addition to Church’s growing catalog. It’s a little faster than The Outsiders, and it has just a bit more rock and roll influence, but once the lyrics kick in there is no denying who is behind each song. If you have time, I highly recommend seeking out the full album as soon as you are able.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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