Score: 3.5/5
For the better part of a decade, Atlanta country staple Zac Brown Band has enjoyed multiple platinum albums and sold out shows all across the country.
With the band’s latest release, its fourth studio album “Jekyll + Hyde,” it continues to produce the sound its fans love, and also manage to take some risks. This latest release is aptly titled, as it really experiments and explores all sides of the group.
Among these successful risks, the album also has its share of failure. It sometimes becomes a little stagnant and predictable, but for the most part, it’s a pleasurable and worthy addition to the group’s discography.
While this album may be classified as country, it is much more than that. In just the first two tracks, “Beautiful Drug” and “Loving You Easy,” there are elements of pop, R&B and soul all mixed in with Zac Brown Band’s country sound. While “Beautiful Drug” is perhaps too poppy, “Loving You Easy” is particularly delightful, a pleasant love song with an uplifting soulful chorus.
One of the album’s highest highs is “Homegrown,” a classic Zac Brown Band track that makes the listener want to visit their hometown, have a bonfire on the beach and sip ice cold beer. It’s a warm and irresistible song for all listeners, whether country fans or not. While it has a mostly country sound, it also appeals to a larger audience.
“Jekyll + Hyde” also has a couple of featured artists in Sara Bareilles and Chris Cornell.
“Mango Tree,” the Sara Bareilles collaboration, is a jazz number with a Frank Sinatra feel. Brown and Bareilles’ voices blend together so smoothly on the sweet love song, one can only hope there are more collaborations like this to come. The track is a great example of the band’s musical prowess and experimentation on this record. It’s a huge deviation from what fans expect, and it works effortlessly.
The Chris Cornell collaboration, “Heavy Is The Head,” is the total opposite of “Mango Tree.” It’s a grungy hard rock track, that while not revolutionary, is yet another example of the band’s different sounds throughout the album.
Overall, the album can appeal to everyone, no matter their music genre preference. There is something in “Jekyll + Hyde” for everyone. Zac Brown Band has created an album for all music lovers, not just country fans.