The Oklahoman singer-songwriter, Zach Lane Bryan, has released a self-titled fifth album “Zach Bryan,” his first album since 2019. Sixteen songs were released on this album including features from The Lumineers, The War and Treaty, Kasey Musgraves, and Sierra Ferrell. The album is full of “sad cowboy” styled songs, infusing other genres such as Americana Folk and pop, creating a perfect blend for a wide range of listeners.
ZLB’s album has spent two weeks straight as the #1 album in the U.S. along with all 16 songs charting in the Top 20 on Apple Music. The top charting song on the album is “I Remember Everything” with 33.7 million streams by Aug. 31. Before Zach released this album, he secured four songs on the Hot 100, with his biggest hit “Something in the Orange” holding the record for the longest charting country song at 66 weeks straight.
When announcing the album release on Instagram, Zach Bryan stated, “I’ve got no grand explanation for these songs…All I pray is that someone out there relates enough to not feel alone. I wrote and produced an album that I would want to listen to. I self-titled it because I hear every cell of my being in it.” Fans and listeners alike have been analyzing these 16 songs and tying them into different life events that have been made public by the media such as his divorce and his life in the Navy for eight years.
It is very clear in these songs that Zach Bryan was honest and raw when creating these pieces. Each one is unique and different from the sound and the breakdowns of the lyrics. He even went as far as the opening track being a spoken poem called “Fear and Fridays (poem),” also having a song titled the same. Zach Bryan also uses a lost connection between two people in the song “El Dorado” which was dedicated to veterans that have suffered from PTSD and trauma. He has promised all the proceeds from “El Dorado ” are being donated to Christian McCaffery’s 22 and Troops foundation for veterans.
Listening to this album will be a shoulder to cry on; it will pick you up when you are feeling down and is like a hug when you need to escape reality as it takes you through the five stages of grief. If you need a good cry or just enjoy listening to sad country music, this album is perfect for you. Zach Bryan’s music seems to be heading in the right direction as he has been expanding his horizons within his past few albums. On September 22nd, ZLB released an EP with 5 songs including features with Bon Iver and Noah Kahan. Bryan has definitely been working hard behind the scenes to produce great music for any and everyone to enjoy.
