Zach Bryan, an up-and-coming artist, is well known for his single “Something in the Orange” which was released in 2021. Now, his new album has a very similar vibe. The songs on this album are filled with raw emotion. In these songs, he conveys emotion about being with friends, falling in love, and growing up.
The first song on this album is a poem. “Fear and Friday’s (Poem)” sets the mood for the album. The poem is a reflection of personal experiences and meaningful moments. These themes are also portrayed throughout the songs on the album. For example, “Hey Driver (feat. The War and Treaty)” has personal reflections that Bryan shares in the song. These personal reflections are very relatable to the listener. In the song, Bryan sings about feeling lost and questioning his choices. This song is one of my favorites because of how much the listener can relate to it.
On this album, there are many featured artists like Sierra Ferrell, The Lumineers, and Kacey Musgraves. This variety of artists adds fresh perspectives to the songs. Also, this brings different styles and voices together which allows Bryan to explore different musical genres and showcase his versatility as an artist. Many people have the impression that Zach Bryan is a country artist. Although most of his songs have a country vibe with him singing with just his guitar, the Billboard charts have included Bryan in the rock and country charts. Maddie Newhouse ‘24 commented, “I really like ‘Spotless’ because I like The Lumineers. It’s fun to see them collab together, ” she added, “I don’t think [Zach Bryan’s album is] completely country but I don’t know what I would say it is. It’s almost like Folk music. I feel like most of his music isn’t real country.”
Lately, this album has been one of my favorites to listen to. Especially after a long day, driving home to “Holy Roller (feat. Sierra Ferrell)” or “Tourniquet” creates an environment where my mind can choose to listen to the lyrics or the background music. Both are great. Newhouse said, “I really liked [the album]. Every time I listen to albums at first I can’t comprehend the lyrics and stuff yet, so it took me a second to [understand the lyrics]. Once I listened to it more times I really appreciated the words.”
I would definitely recommend this album to anyone who likes a country or folk-type vibe of music. This album has a lot of heartfelt songs and a nice variety between genres.
