I’m “Always Willing” to listen to Zach Bryan
Zach Bryan, a 29-year-old country musician, has been one of my favorite and most-played artists for years. His beautiful lyricism and catchy songs instantly solidified him as one of the most prominent artists of our generation. On Jan. 9, Bryan released the sixth and newest addition to his discography, “With Heaven On Top.”
This album has 25 songs and plays for an hour and 18 minutes. 18 out of the 25 releases were streamed so much that they were featured on the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying the album’s global popularity.
Throughout this album, Bryan pairs emotional ballads with moving instrumentals. One of my favorite aspects of this album is the diverse variety of topics that are discussed, which allow for the piece of art to not only be personalized to Bryan himself, but also relatable to each and every listener. Bryan discusses struggles family members faced with addiction, personal heartbreak and the resurgence of hope.
Another quality of “With Heaven On Top” that I found to be extremely impressive was the cohesiveness of the album. The united and similar production of every song created a feeling of connection, which really made it stand out to me. The song’s similar composition allows for each song to blend into the next, creating a seamless listening experience.
Bryan wrote, produced and recorded each song on this record himself. He did have aid from his band while recording and had other producers help finalize his work, but each lyric, line and poem was his own work entirely. I admire Bryan’s authentic songwriting. For this album, he did not implement any co-writers or ghostwriters, as many popular musicians do today, which solidifies his talent.
It is hard for me to pick my favorite tracks from the record. I truly enjoyed every piece of music this collection holds. Each song is vulnerable, but not redundant or depressing, but rather peaceful and melancholic.
I believe this album to be a true demonstration of Bryan’s talented songwriting skills and beautiful vocals, proving his talent and dedication to music. “With Heaven On Top” instantly became one of my favorite country albums. I would strongly recommend listening to this album.
