“Zach Bryan” – Zach Bryan
★★★☆☆
Top Picks: “Overtime,” Hey Driver“,” “Smaller Acts“
Similar Artists: The Lumineers, Caamp, Tyler Childers
In the wake of intense online criticism and discussion, Zach Bryan released a new self-titled album. The album, Zach Bryan, is the Oklahoma native’s fourth full-length project in the last four years. While he released his debut album DeAnn in 2019, Bryan did not rise to fame until the release of his hit “Something In The Orange” in 2022. Like most viral songs in recent years, the social media app TikTok played a large role in the song’s claim to fame.
It’s clear that “Something In The Orange” isn’t Bryan’s only work to be influenced by social media and pop culture. The singer-songwriter’s latest album samples and interpolates many important and notable moments from the past few years. Most notably, the second song on the album, “Overtime,” begins with an interpolation of “The Stars Spangled Banner.” In a hilarious juxtaposition, the intro also samples an iconic pop-culture moment from the Indy 500 in May 2023 (watch here). It’s a small moment, but it certainly highlights Bryan’s acknowledgment of the internet (and its role in his success), while also working as a silly easter egg that makes listeners laugh. On an album that’s deeply emotional in so many areas, these lighthearted moments are essential.
In an interesting creative call, the album opens with “Fear and Friday’s (poem)“—a spoken word track. The poem is an ode to the uselessness of both fear and Fridays. In Bryan’s own words, the two are “overdone, glorified, and always leave you wantin’.” Yet the song is also a spotlight on the major themes represented by the album. It speaks of love, loss, family, fear, and most importantly, how it truly feels to navigate through life in a positive manner. It’s a startling and captivating start to the project.
With 16 songs and a run time of nearly an hour, it’s impossible to discuss each and every song. Instead, I’ll focus on the most notable areas of the album. One of these aspects is, undeniably, the wide selection of features and collaborations. Bryan’s first release of the year was a collaboration with singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, and he seems to be continuing this precedent with four features on Zach Bryan. These collaborations boast tracks with The Lumineers, The War and Treaty, Sierra Ferrell, and Kacey Musgraves.
These four collaborations, plus the single with Rogers, highlight the shift that both Bryan’s music and the country genre seem to be undergoing. The album feels just as much a folk album as it does a country album. It’s interesting to see Bryan’s album solidify this blurring of lines between folk, pop, and country. It’s nice to hear the fruits of this genre-bending and see the creativity flow between artists with so many similarities, yet who are consistently categorized as different genres.
Speaking of genre-bending, Bryan’s instrumentals throughout the album do just that. “Overtime” and “East Side of Sorrow” are upbeat tracks with bouncing drums, a great horn section, and fun guitars. They have a buildup reminiscent of a pop-folk song. “Summertime’s Close” and “Fear and Friday’s” both have the grassroots feel of a plucking guitar and the bright, unmistakable harmonica typical to modern country. “Holly Roller” is a duet that features a simple backline. It’s got a funky banjo and some snapping that feels reminiscent of John Denver. The album is truly an amalgamation of many influences. It’s something unique and unrestricted by genre.
As for his lyrics, Bryan speaks of many things throughout the project. Many songs, such as “I Remember Everything” and “Ticking,” speak to the sorrow of breakups and past relationships. Yet songs like “Smaller Acts” and “Tourniquet” feel like falling into love with someone new. “East Side of Sorrow” highlights the sorrow of losing a loved one from childhood, while “Overtime” tells the story of working for the future you want to live. The album isn’t about one singular thing. It speaks to so many lives, pasts, and futures, but at its core, it’s an album about just getting through life.
This album isn’t the stereotypical beers, boobs, and boats that saturate country music. In its entirety, Zach Bryan is a raw exploration of love, life, and change through Zach Bryan’s eyes. Sure it’s a country album, but what does that mean anymore? The line between country, folk, and pop is nearly indistinct at this point. Genre boundaries are no longer boundaries. This album is proof of not only that, but also the true creativity and phenomenal projects that can come from this evolution of boundaries. It’s a masterclass of “country” music.
See Zach Bryan on the Quittin’ Time Tour, Summer of 2024. Get tickets here.