ZACH BRYAN

I decided to do my first album review over an EP by one of my favorite artists, Zach Bryan. 

Released in 2020, these songs were extremely pivotal in his rise to stardom. Prior to this album, he has two full length albums: DeAnn and Elisabeth. These albums were early on in his career, with rough production and songwriting. Still though, his talent shines through. This album is the one that really got him noticed nationwide, later he exploded with his most recent album "American Heartbreak." I absolutely love that album, but haven't listened to this one as much. While reading other reviews about it, these songs are described to show how his songwriting really came together after the prior albums. So, I want to listen-song by song-and give them a rating, and at the end do an overall rating (scale of 1-10.)

1: "Let You Down"

A song about a relationship, tainted by substance abuse and a loop he finds himself in. Faster paced, fiddle and guitar used. Rating: 6/10

2: "Crooked Teeth"

A murder ballad, that is somehow very catchy. While dark lyrically, the instruments and inflection he uses makes it easy on the ears. Rating: 8/10

3: "November Air"

A song that hurts so good. The song is about talking to his late mother, likely trying to show her the man he has become. Fiddle is used again. Rating: 9/10

4: "Birmingham" 

Another murder ballad, about being on the run. More production involved than the rest, but still sounds raw and acoustic. Rating: 6/10

5: "Traveling Man"

Another kind of man on the run story, but has more to it. Harmonica opens it up, and guitar carries it through. Rating: 8/10

6: "Quiet, Heavy Dreams"

A song about longing for someone, beautifully sung. Rating: 7/10

Overall: I love the storytelling in this album and the emotion thats in each song. Some are sad, some are scary, all of them have substance. It is thought by some that the entire EP is a storyline that is connected, that would make sense with the couple murder ballads and on the run feelings in these songs. Rating: 8/10