Zach Bryan Album Review
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Zach Bryan has recently been climbing the music charts with his viral new self-titled album. Here is my ranking of the songs on this album.
#16 Overtime – The worst song in the ranking is Overtime. It describes how he has been resilient in the face of difficulty. He talks about how he along with his family has faced many tough times but fought through them all. Zach Bryan says that he has always had high hopes and dreams and wanted to achieve them no matter what.
“It’s just very boring,” Neva Polcs, a sophomore said. Out of every song on the album, overtime cannot compare. The meaning, melody, and lyrics all are mediocre. If any song would be in last place it is without a doubt Overtime.
Stars – 0
Memorable Lyrics – “I wanna hear my father say that he loves me.”
#15 El Dorado – El Dorado is a comparison of how life can change from how you once believed it would go. Bryan describes how who he once thought would be his wife, is now long gone. He also shares how the people he used to be surrounded by have now all up and left. El Dorado falls short in comparison to the other songs on this album. The melody is catchy but not revolutionary and the meaningful lyrics and far and few between.
Stars – ⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “To a man I wish was still by my side”
#14 Tradesman – Bryan dives into the idea of a different simpler life inside this song. He dreams of a life where he can be off at 5 and know he accomplished something. Contrary to his current untraditional lifestyle, he longs for a normal, common life. He desires a life without the spotlight and wishes he could lay back after a hard day’s work without the public’s constant eye. The relatability of this song is hard for most because they do not experience the constant spotlight Bryan does, however, it has a very good melody that draws some in.
Stars – ⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “The only callous I’ve grown is in my mind”
#13 Fear and Fridays – The production of this song outshines all of the others on this album. It begins with what sounds like a sound check before jumping into the song. The instrumentation is very well produced and unlike the other songs. Fear and Fridays describes Bryan’s fear of only being used when someone is lonely. He talks about how he wants to be more than a fun Friday night and longs for a genuine connection with someone. This song has great production but falls short of lyricism failing to provide many strong impactful lyrics.
Stars – ⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “Say you love me again.”
#12 East Side of Sorrow – Bryan describes through this song losing hope because of the tragedy that struck his life. After turning 18, Bryan joins the military and is faced with death early watching his friends die from the war. After coming home he is again faced with death when he loses his mom to a heart attack. The song serves as a motivation for Bryan saying that the sun will rise and he needs to keep the faith.
Stars – ⭐⭐ ½
Memorable Lyrics – “You were the last thing I had that was good,” and “Let it be, then let it go.”
#11 Ticking – Ticking faces the difficult topic of being in love with someone but not being able to be with them. Bryan knows no matter how much he wants to be with this person he cannot. He wants to run back to the relationship they had and be with this person again. He hates himself for staying away but believes it is the right decision. The song ends with heartbreaking lyrics.
Bryan sings, “I love you and I’m willing but I cannot keep you, girl,” This song is heartbreaking, and because of this, it has to be listened to in certain situations.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “and Lord I hate that I ain’t close to you.”
#10 Tourniquet – As the title suggests this song is about helping those around you. Bryan talks about how no matter the circumstances he will help this person. He says he knows how this world has hurt them and wants to help them regardless. This song also includes a guitar riff we do not see in any other songs on the album, making it stand out. This song has a beautiful message but unfortunately does not stand out as much compared to some of the other amazing songs.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “Take care of the blood that your love runs through.”
#9 Jake’s Piano – Long Island – What this song lacks in quantity of lyrics it makes up for in quality. This piece feels like a combination of 2 different songs. The first is the mourning of a person they used to know. The background organ of this gives it an old hymn feel that is very uncommon. The second transfers into a different feel with a strong drum beat and a different vocal tone. This half talks about missing someone but being unable to reach out. Both pieces of this song are in mourning giving it a depressing tone but for those feeling emotional turn this one up.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “The best parts of you are here, but you’re still gone,” and “I’ve been trying like hell to call, my mind ain’t right and I just can’t tell you why”
#8 Oklahoman Son – The final song on Bryan’s self-titled album is Oklahoman Son. It describes how where someone is born can shape a person. Bryan talks about his memories from his hometown and the locations he could never seem to forget.
“You can’t hide where you’re from,” sang Bryan. He shares how a hometown can make a person who they are and even if you try and change that, it will always be a part of you. Many people love the classic country feel of this song and can relate to the way your hometown shapes you.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐ and ¼
Memorable Lyrics – “You’ll always be the Oklahoman son,” and “Money can’t buy me back no time”
#7 Hey driver (feat. The War and Treaty) – Bryan is on a hypothetical ride trying to escape his current situation. The people he was surrounded by were making bad decisions. Gambling with everything in their lives. Zach feels burnt out after writing so many songs and feels absent from his own life. He wishes to leave where he currently is and find a better situation, explaining why he is talking to the driver.
“I like all the lyrics in it” Polcs explains. The harmonies and collaboration between Bryan and The War and Treaty bring this song to the next level.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐and ½
Memorable Lyrics – “Hey driver, you can drop me off anywhere”
#6 Fear and Fridays (Poem) – Though this is not exactly a song, the lyricism of it earned it this spot on the list. This poem describes Bryan’s life and how he chose to live it. Taking advantage of the moments in front of him and having love for those around him. Living for the memories while not wishing for more. It also serves as an intro for the album, prefacing the types of music we will see. As was said the lyricism of this poem is truly inspiring and represents how life should be lived.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Memorable Lyrics – “I got no hate in my heart for anything, anywhere or anyone” and “I’ve learned that every waking moment is enough and excess never leads to better things it only piles and piles atop the things that are already abundantly in front of you”
#5 Summertime’s Close – Summertime’s Close is the representation of how every person hopes their partner will think of them. With beautiful admiration and complete appreciation of them as a person. Zach Bryan expresses the perfection he sees in his partner and how important this person is to him. Bryan believes he has found the love of his life and portrays that love in this song. This song relates to the hopeless romantics out there looking for that perfect person.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “I ain’t ever breathed breath as fresh as you” and “The starts of San Luis don’t shine bright as you”
#4 Spotless (feat. the Lumineers) – The Lumineers have been a long-time idol for Bryan, with him looking to them for inspiration. Working together fulfilled a long-time dream for Bryan. This song describes the decision Bryan made, that even though his partner is not perfect, he is going to love them anyway. He also recognizes that he is not a perfect person and hopes that his partner can come to terms with that, or else the relationship will never work. This song captures how relationships can fall apart because of unrealistic expectations. The song helps people coming out of broken relationships feel heard and Lumineers fans are ecstatic about this collaboration.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “Everything meant to be is bound to stay.”
#3 I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves) – Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves collab on this 2 perspective song to craft a relatable story. The song begins with Bryan reminiscing on the memories he has with a past lover, missing the good times they had together. Continuing Musgraves talks from her perspective about this relationship, shedding it in a less positive light.
She says things like, “You only smile like that when you’re drinking.” As they join together for the final chorus we see the bitter-sweet ending of a makeshift relationship, missing each other even though they do not want to.
Ellie Knauf, a sophomore, said, “It’s a really good song to listen to in the car.” This song is an amazing track to yell your heart out for all the heartbroken and mistreated fans.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½
Memorable Lyrics – “Wish I didn’t but I do, remember every moment on the nights with you.”
#2 Smaller Acts – This song is about Zach Bryan’s admiration of the girl he loves. He appreciates how she does not care about the big, grand gestures and instead appreciates the small genuine acts of love.
Going on he says, “She’ll only love you for you,” talking about how this girl loves the person and not just the things they do for her.
Kyleigh Dannen, a freshman, said, “I can really relate to [smaller acts] and I love all the lyrics.” Smaller Acts is a highlight song on Bryan’s new album. The relatable lyrics of this song make it a favorite, along with the comfortable vibe it has.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “There ain’t a thing a man can do, she’ll only love you for you.”
#1 Holy Roller (feat. Sierra Ferrell) – Holy Roller describes the way that Zach Bryans’s relationship with his partner spiritually redeemed him. Bryan describes how he initially was not a devoted Christian, but through his relationship with this person, he finds redemption in his faith. With Sierra Ferrell’s feature on the song, it takes on a jazzy country feel along with bluegrass elements as well. This song is beautifully written with amazing instrumentals to back it up. It deserves no other spot on this list but first.
Stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Memorable Lyrics – “I found God in your eyes, the greens and browns remind me of a mountainside.”