Zach Bryan’s new self-titled album is truly an authentic piece of music that is unique to him and is a standout in his discography. The album runs for 16 tracks with a length of 54 minutes, making the album nice in length without feeling too long to the point where it gets repetitive. This album is now Zach Bryan’s fifth studio album and has been released at an incredibly competitive time in the country genre as other artists like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen are putting up very impressive numbers on the billboard charts. Although this album is classified as a country album, it does not sound like the typical country album you would hear from other artists like Morgan Wallen.
It also does not sound like a more poppy version of country, which is what many artists have been doing recently. The fact that this album is self-titled is truly a testament to how Zach Bryan made this album his own. With many songs on this album that sound like a blend between slow country and R&B, the album feels unique to him.
On a note of production, Zach Bryan’s unique voice and solid vocal range take up most of the song but are still very well complimented by the tamer instrumentals.
Another point of interest on this album concerns the interesting vocal mix that cuts through the tracks and makes his voice take center stage for nearly every song. Although most of the instrumentals throughout the album sound more like the traditional country sound, his voice, cadence, delivery, and material throughout the songs is slightly different than what we are used to hearing from country artists in today’s industry.
Outside of Zach Bryan’s contributions to this album, all the features do a fantastic job on the album, with contributions from The Lumineers, Sierra Ferell, The War and Treaty, and in my opinion the best feature comes from Grammy award-winning country singer, Kacey Musgraves. My personal favorite song on the album, Tourniquet, features a loud and somewhat harsh grand piano playing high notes, contrasted by the strumming of an acoustic guitar. If you’re looking to hear one of the artists at the forefront of the modern country sound but with their own personal twist and authentic style, look no further than this album.
Grade: 8/10
