Zach Bryan is a renowned country singer from Oologah, Oklahoma. His rugged, genuine and vulnerable sound makes him a fan-favorite. Even those who don’t listen to country have listened to, or at least have been exposed to, Zach Bryan’s music. If you’ve ever heard “Something in the Orange” or “Pink Skies,” that’s Zach Bryan. His sound is so unique, even for the country world, that it’s instantly recognizable from his counterparts.
His newest album, “With Heaven on Top” touches on themes of his own fame and general overwhelm, about love and relationships, America and lament. Zach Bryan’s utterly honest and unapologetic music attracts fans of all genres. He does not leverage his ‘country’ identity very much in his music, instead making country genre as a stage for the “main act” – his own personal heart, which is highlighted in the lyrics and sound of every melancholy song he releases. He frequents simple instruments like harmonica, acoustic guitar, and trumpets. Instead of fitting his music to meet some sort of industry standard, Zach Bryan writes what he wants, which ends up being exactly the kind of thing that fans love.
The first song, “Down, Down, Stream” is a spoken word, it’s a poem that describes his experience of sleeping in a Manhattan building, making a fire, and then being doused by water from fire hydrants. The overall message of this song is about letting experiences come and go, flowing over you like water, and maybe letting some of them end up in a metaphorical reserve that is part of your special biography. His words are descriptive and emotional, as per usual.
The second song, “Runny Eggs,” features his signature harmonica and melancholy feel. With a haunting sound, the lyrics’ references are all over the place, talking about travel, geographical locations, family and music. It gives a very lonely feel, like someone who is alone on a roadtrip in the Southwest at night. It’s vibe is almost a little bit sleepy and disconnected, but it’s emotional and beautiful. His third song, “Appetite,” features trumpets and an upbeat feel. In this song, Bryan expresses his anxieties through autobiographical lyrics, and describes that he does not want to raise children that are like him, “picking fights” and “growing an appetite”. In “DeAnn’s Denim”, Bryan talks about generational trauma being passed down. Using the wordplay of ‘genes’ and ‘jeans’, he poetically explains that it’s difficult to break unhealthy patterns in the family.
“Say Why”, “Drowning”, “Santa Fe”, “Skin”, and “Dry Deserts” are all memorable songs, touching on themes of love, work, and habit. “Santa Fe” is especially fun and pumping. “Bad News” is a political song on his album, where he laments the situation of America, that the ideals it was founded on are falling apart. Fans speculate his thirteenth song, “Slicked Back,” is describing Bryan’s new wife, Samantha Bryan, as it describes a spunky lady, her appearance and interests. Repeatedly Zach Bryan says, “You’re so cool.”, which may not sound eloquent or romantic, but from the song you can tell that he loves her. His song “Anyways” is a song about perseverance. The melody is a little less put together than his other songs, but it has its signature sound. The song “If They Come Lookin’” is about the border between Texas and Oklahoma, the rivalry that exists between the two sides, and running from past mistakes.
In “Rivers and Creeks”, Zach Bryan yodels slightly. Many of the other songs on the album sound almost experimental in nature because they are relatively simple and don’t have very consistent vocals. However, the final song of the album, “With Heaven on Top” is very insightful lyrically, with beautiful instrumentals, the chord progression being one of the most stunning in the album. This song feels like the hopeful end of something, like a grandfather passing down wisdom to his son. It’s about being unafraid to live and make mistakes, and it incorporates his signature connection to emotions and words, making it one of his loveliest songs.
Overall, this album is very touching and raw, like all of Zach Bryan’s music. His artistry through music and poetry shines through in his songs. While there were some inconsistencies toward the middle, Zach Bryan created many shining stars. Overall, this album deserves 4.5 out of 5 stars.
