Eric Church didn’t get this far by playing it safe, but his fourth studio album strikes out further than expected. “The Outsiders” is ultimate outlaw country, taking Church into arty realms marked by moody nuance and unapologetic daring. The album’s one-two opening of the stomping title track, with its prog-rock outro, and the plaintive “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young” reveals his sense of reach and creative mission. And he keeps underscoring it as he slides from the swampy grit of “Cold One” to the gentle nostalgia of “Talladega” and the soulful flavor of “Like a Wrecking Ball.” “Devil, Devil” is an eight-minute aural adventure, and sinister album-closer “The Joint” has all the makings of a future film adaptation. The album has a few messy moments, but that cockeyed charm is part of what makes “The Outsiders” worthy of taking time to delve into.
