Country Squire
{{for|the vehicle|Ford Country Squire}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Country Squire
| type = studio
| artist = Tyler Childers
| cover = Tyler Childers - Country Squire.png
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2019|08|02}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio = Butcher Shoppe (Nashville, Tennessee){{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/tyler-childers-announces-new-album-produced-by-sturgill-simpson/|title=Tyler Childers Announces New Album Produced by Sturgill Simpson|website=Pitchfork|last=Bloom|first=Madison|date=May 16, 2019|access-date=August 2, 2019}}
| genre = *Honky-tonk
| length = 35:10
| label = * Hickman Holler Records
| producer =
- Sturgill Simpson
- David R. Ferguson{{cite web|url=https://theboot.com/tyler-childers-new-music-album-2019/|title=Everything We Know About Tyler Childers' 'Country Squire' Album|last=Liptak|first=Carena|website=The Boot|date=July 29, 2019|access-date=August 2, 2019}}
| prev_title = Purgatory
| prev_year = 2017
| next_title = Long Violent History
| next_year = 2020
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Country Squire
| type = studio
| single1 = House Fire
| single1date = May 16, 2019
| single2 = All Your'n
| single2date = June 21, 2019
}}
}}
Country Squire is the third studio album and major label debut by American country musician Tyler Childers. Recorded at the Butcher Shoppe in Nashville, the album was produced by Sturgill Simpson and was released on August 2, 2019, jointly through Childers' own independent label Hickman Holler Records and major label RCA.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/tyler-childers-new-album-country-squire-song-house-fire-835992/|title=Tyler Childers Previews New Album 'Country Squire' With Yearning 'House Fire'|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Moss|first=Marissa|date=May 16, 2019|access-date=August 2, 2019}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1=AllMusic
|rev1Score={{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/country-squire-mw0003281873|title=Tyler Childers: Country Squire|work=AllMusic|last=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}
|rev2=Paste
|rev2score={{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/08/tyler-childers-country-squire-review.html|title=Tyler Childers: Country Squire Review|author= Ellen Johnson |date= August 13, 2019|work=Paste}}
|rev3=Pitchfork
|rev3Score=7.8/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/tyler-childers-country-squire/|title=Tyler Childers: Country Squire Album Review|work=Pitchfork|author=Stephen M. Deusner|date=August 5, 2019}}
|noprose=yes
}}
The album received a Metacritic rating of 85 based on six reviews, indicating universal acclaim.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/country-squire/tyler-childers |title=Country Squire by Tyler Childers|work=Metacritic }}
Commercial performance
Country Squire debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums and American/Folk Albums, his first on No. 1 on these charts. It sold 24,000 in traditional albums, 32,000 in equivalent album units in the first week.{{cite magazine |url= https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8527301/tyler-childers-earns-first-top-country-albums-no-1 |title=Tyler Childers Earns First Top Country Albums No. 1 With 'Country Squire'|date=August 13, 2019 |first= Jim |last=Asker |magazine=Billboard}} As of March 2020, the album has sold 65,400 copies in the United States.{{cite web |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2020/03/44165-top-10-country-albums-pure-sales-chart-march-9-2020|title=Top 10 Country Albums Pure Sales Chart: March 9, 2020 |work=RoughStock|first=Matt |last=Bjorke |date= March 10, 2020 |access-date=March 22, 2020 }}
Background
Following the critical success of his breakthrough 2017 album Purgatory, Childers signed an exclusive licensing deal with major label RCA Records and announced his follow up album, named Country Squire, on May 16, 2019. On the same day, the music video for "House Fire" was released.
As part of his deal with RCA, Childers would own the copyright through his own Hickman Holler Records and have creative control. Additionally, country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson was re-recruited to produce Country Squire.
Musical style and composition
Country Squire has been described as a honky-tonk,{{cite news |last1=Canter |first1=Soda |title=Tyler Childers - Country Squire |website=Holler |date=January 29, 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Staff |title=Review: Tyler Childers - Country Squire |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/79992/Tyler-Childers-Country-Squire/ |website=SputnikMusic |access-date=February 15, 2025 |date=August 10, 2019}} country, and neotraditional country album, that is compared to the styles of its predecessor, Purgatory.
Critical reception
Country Squire was met with immediate critical acclaim. Writing for Pitchfork Magazine, Stephen Deusner remarks that "[Childers] has a remarkable facility with telling details, which pepper Country Squire as vividly they did his 2017 breakout Purgatory."{{Cite web|title=Tyler Childers: Country Squire|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/tyler-childers-country-squire/|access-date=2021-06-04|website=Pitchfork|language=en}}
= Accolades =
The penultimate track of the album, "All Your'n", was nominated for Best Solo Country Performance at the 2019 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Willie Nelson and his song "Ride Me Back Home".{{Cite web|date=2020-11-23|title=Tyler Childers|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/tyler-childers/251704|access-date=2021-06-04|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2020-05-19|title=62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/62nd-annual-grammy-awards-2019|access-date=2021-06-04|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = Tyler Childers
| total_length = 35:04
| title1 = Country Squire
| length1 = 3:21
| title2 = Bus Route
| length2 = 3:07
| title3 = Creeker
| length3 = 5:01
| title4 = Gemini
| length4 = 2:32
| title5 = House Fire
| length5 = 3:52
| title6 = Ever Lovin' Hand
| length6 = 4:38
| title7 = Peace of Mind
| length7 = 4:42
| title8 = All Your'n
| length8 = 3:38
| title9 = Matthew
| length9 = 4:13
}}
Personnel
From Country Squire liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |title=Country Squire |others=Tyler Childers |year=2019 |type=CD insert |publisher=Hickman Holler/RCA |id=19075-96034-2 }}
;Musicians
- Tyler Childers - vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (all tracks), hand claps (8)
- Stuart Duncan - fiddle (all tracks), mandolin (2, 4, 7, 9), banjo (5, 9), hand claps (8)
- Miles Miller - drums (all tracks except 9), background vocals (all tracks except 9), washboard (4), hand claps (8)
- Russ Pahl - electric guitar (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8), pedal steel guitar (1, 3, 7, 8), baritone guitar (1, 4), Dobro (2, 7), classical guitar (7), acoustic guitar (8, 9), Jew's harp (2), mandolin (5), hand claps (8)
- David Roe - bass guitar (all tracks), hand claps (8)
- Mike Rojas - piano (1, 3, 4, 6), accordion (2), Hammond B-3 organ (3, 5, 6), clavinet (4), synthesizer (5), Wurlitzer electric piano (7)
- Sturgill Simpson - background vocals (2), hand claps (8)
- Bobby Wood - Wurlitzer electric piano (3, 8), piano (7, 8), Hammond B-3 organ (8), harmonium (9)
;Technical
- Daniel Bacigalupi - assistant
- David R. Ferguson - producer, engineer, mixing
- Pete Lyman - mastering
- Señora May - photography
- Colonel Tony Moore - illustration
- Sturgill Simpson - producer
- Sean Sullivan - engineer
- Jimbo Valentine - album layout
Charts
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2019)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Australian Digital Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=http://cdn.aria.com.au/pdfs/7235219D788315A7095517E2B62C37AE57E5134CBDFFAE422D09D57E8723653B/ARIA%20Digital%20Albums%20Chart.pdf?seq=26|title=ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|date=August 12, 2019|access-date=August 10, 2019}}
| 44 |
| {{album chart|BillboardCanada|86|artist=Tyler Childers|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 13, 2019}} |
| {{album chart|Scotland|40|date=20190809|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 10, 2019}} |
| {{album chart|UKCountry|1|date=20190809|rowheader=true|accessdate=January 22, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|12|artist=Tyler Childers|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 13, 2019}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardCountry|1|artist=Tyler Childers|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 13, 2019}} |
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2019)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Top Country Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/top-country-albums|title=Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 12, 2020}}
| 64 |
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2023)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Top Country Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/top-country-albums/|title=Top Country Albums – Year-End 2023|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 22, 2023}}
| 67 |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|award=Gold|artist=Tyler Childers|title=Country Squire|relyear=2019|certyear=2024|access-date=April 1, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|award=Gold|artist=Tyler Childers|title=Country Squire|relyear=2019|certyear=2023|access-date=January 24, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
References
{{reflist}}{{Tyler Childers}}{{Authority control}}