Zach Bryan released his self-named album on Aug. 25, which included many featured artists, 15 songs, and a poem. Bryan’s album darted to success with all 16 songs charting in the top 20 on Apple Music the week of release.
Zach Bryan starts off with a poem “Fear and Fridays” which was different from his last album, “American Heartbreak” where the poem landed last place on the album. The lyrics stated a message at the end: “Yeah, I think ‘Fear and Fridays’ got an awful lot in common. They’re overdone and glorified and they always leave you wantin’.” Bryan talks about how he has accomplished so much while fearing what happens next. The track creates a good introduction to the album showing the potential for success.
Hitting number one on the daily charts, “I Remember Anything” featuring Kacey Musgraves begins with a slow sorrowful vibe that leads into a faster beat. The track informs the listener of how he lost someone to addiction and remembers everything he has done with her. It also includes both sides of the story while the song’s dynamic expresses how loss can change people.
The first song on the album titled “Overtime” signifies the theme of Bryan working to try and prove himself to those who doubted him. Bryan explains his hardship with family and people around him while working overtime to make ends meet at a young age. “Overtime” starts the common theme of mellowness within the album.
“East Side of Sorrow” became a popular song on his album since its release as the fourth track. Bryan begins the song by reminiscing about his recruitment into the army, and going to war while losing his comrades. Then it cuts to him waiting for someone at a hospital for days, but ultimately losing them. The song explores a series of emotions while he starts to lose faith and wishes to return to the West. With “East Side of Sorrow’s” emotional bringing, it adds a powerful meaning to the album.
The album produces a slow sad vibe throughout, which I would recommend to someone who enjoys more emotional and meaningful music. If someone prefers love songs with happy endings then the album inflicts with their style. Zach’s last album “American Heartbreak” included both the dynamics of happy and fast songs as well as the sad slow ones. His new album excludes this dynamic which shows the only downside. Despite that, the album has great potential and definitely deserves hype from fans.