Evangeline vs. The Machine

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  Best, Favorite, & Most Interesting Albums Of 2025

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  • Genre: Country / Folk / Prog-Rock.
  • Influenced by: Queen, The Rolling Stones, Rage Against The Machine, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Levon Helm.
  • Similar artists: Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Cody Jinks, Cody Johnson, Sturgill Simpson.
  • About this album: Produced by Jay Joyce, it is a high-concept "Country-Rock Opera" that pits organic creativity (personified by "Evangeline") against the soul-crushing nature of technology and modern industry (the "Machine"). The eight‑track record blends cinematic instrumentation — including choir, brass, and strings — with themes that explore the tension between creativity and commercial expectation, the passage of time, resilience, and artistic autonomy. A HIGHLY polarizing album, some critics felt it was overly produced, but this record was unavoidable in 2025 and Church deserves points for the sheer audacity and artistic ambition of it all.
  • Metacritic Score: NA.
  • Awards / Nominations: Nominated for the 2026 Grammy award for Best Contemporary Country Album.
  • Song To Sample: “Hands of Time,” the lead single that encapsulates the album’s reflective themes and Church’s interplay between personal retrospection and broader musical homage.