Country star Zach Bryan released his newest album, “Zach Bryan,” on August 25, but he’s been making more headlines for his arrest in Oklahoma on September 7.
Bryan was arrested for obstruction of an investigation. According to ABC News, the arrest happened after he interfered with a traffic stop when his security guard was pulled over for speeding.
In a later statement, Bryan owned up and said, “My decisions did not reflect who I was as a person, and I just want to make that clear. I should have been smarter about it.”
Fans were quick with their response when shirts with his mugshot were being circulated not even hours after the arrest was announced.
Bryan went from being confused with Zac Brown Band to being one of the most predominant names in the music industry this year.
His new album includes 16 tracks and features other artists like the Lumineers and brings more attention to artists like The War and Treaty.
Bryan starts the album with “Fear and Fridays (Poem).” It is a beautiful prelude to the album as Bryan speaks over acoustic guitar about seeing “some beautiful days” and, “I’ve learned that every waking moment is enough and excess never leads to better things.”
“Overtime” starts off with the audio from a viral video from earlier this year at the Indy 500. Drunken fan Kyle Bilby screams, “I started drinking at 6 a.m.. We’re here now, and I don’t know what time it is, but I’m rolling deep, and those cars are going real fast and real left, son. They’re going fast and left.”
Bryan must have been a fan of the video to sample it in this song. Fans immediately recognized it.
“Summertime’s Close” is a sadder melody with lyrics like, “You’re the fire of Carolina and Oklahoma too, and the stars in San Luis ain’t burnin’ bright as you.” It touches on the loneliness he feels without the girl depicted in the song.
In “East Side of Sorrow,” he talks about the hardships of grief that came after someone he loves passed away. In previous albums, he mentions the loss of his mother in 2016 in songs like “Sweet DeAnn.”
“Hey Driver (Ft. The War and Treaty)” has been one of my most listened-to songs since its release. With a feel-good vibe brought by The War and Treaty’s soulful voice, it is one of the most streamed on the album.
The War and Treaty is a husband-and-wife duo who made their first major-label release, “Lover’s Game,” in 2023. Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter hold some of the most powerful vocals I have heard in a while, and I am excited that Bryan is bringing them more attention.
“Fear and Friday’s” gives off the Bryan energy that everyone knows and loves. It reminds me of a lot of his songs in “American Heartbreak,” and the familiarity of the piece makes it an enjoyable listen.
“You only love me like you mean it when it’s after dark,” Bryan says in “Fear and Friday’s.”
Another one of my top listens on this new release is definitely an underrated one. “Ticking” is beautiful by nature and touches on love and the distance between lovers. He looks back on a previous love and how he cannot keep it.
“I ain’t never been a holy roller, but I found God in your eyes,” introduces his “Holy Roller (ft. Sierra Ferrell).
The two’s voices combined make the song sound like an intimate love letter.
“Jake’s Piano/Long Island” is a two-part piece where Bryan is mourning, yet again, an ended relationship. Here, we really get to hear his vocals shine with a piano melody in the background. He reminisces on memories that they had.
Bryan is speaking to a friend who he lost touch with in “El Dorado.” Something to appreciate about the artist is that he doesn’t limit his music to personal love songs but speaks on a range of stories, such as his time in the military, his mother, and his relationships with his friends.
“I Remember Everything (ft. Kacey Musgraves)” has been one of the most popular songs with the most streams. That is for a reason. Bryan never fails to execute his plans of releasing a song that will absolutely ruin the mental health of his fans.
Bryan and Musgrave’s voices create the perfect harmony, especially in the final chorus. In the outra, he concludes in a somber tone with what he started the song with.
Another fan favorite is “Tourniquet.” Yet again, this is a sad song. I’m not complaining. He speaks of protecting someone who has been metaphorically “stabbed in the back.” He wants to be their tourniquet.
One of the most anticipated songs on the album is “Spotless (ft. The Lumineers).” Before its release, Bryan teased a song with the group, leaving fans on their toes as they waited. Our wait was remedied by a beautiful song with a collaboration that has been long overdue.
“Tradesman” is where Bryan expresses his need for escape and desire for a simpler, more authentic life. In many of his songs, he speaks of his appreciation for the little things in life.
In “Smaller Acts,” he speaks fondly of a girl and about personal acts that she appreciates. The lyrics, “She’ll only love you for you,” show his adoration for whoever this is about and how love is beyond material.
Bryan concludes the album with “Oklahoma Son.” Here, he looks back to Oklahoma, a state that is consistently found in his music. Listeners can feel his longing for the place he loves so much.
