To say Zach Bryan’s meteoric rise to fame in the past few years has been explosive would be an understatement. From military service to playing sold out stadiums, Zach’s life has changed quite a bit as of late. Despite this, one thing has stayed very constant: Zach’s love for the small town bars he discovers throughout America. The Great American Bar Scene, Bryan’s fifth studio album, was released fittingly on July 4th, 2024. Opening with a poem entitled Lucky Enough, Zach welcomes the listener into his vision of the American bar scene as a place to meet people, gain experience, and learn the ways of life. Zach yearns to make stories he will tell for years to come. The first track that really caught my attention as I listened through the album was entitled 28. The lyrics of this song serve as a celebration of life improving. From feeling loveless and lost, to abundantly cared for by a special person. After 28 years of life, Zach finally feels loved on his birthday. Every word in this track feels poignant and calculated.
The instrumentation and powerful delivery in the choruses drive the themes home with a feeling of pride and happiness. If 28 was too happy, fans will be happy to know Zach delivered one of the saddest songs he has ever released in Bass Boat. According to him, the song was heavily inspired by Bon Iver and these ideas definitely ring true. This haunting track paints a picture of struggling with mental health during a healthy relationship. While someone may be the perfect partner for Zach, they cannot change his history and tendency to self-sabotage. The third verse dissects how Zach’s upbringing further influences his current life and relationships with others. One of the best lines on this song and maybe the whole project reads “‘Cause I was raised by a woman who was hardly impressed, And I carry that sh*t real deep in my chest”. A master of blunt honesty, Zach clues the listener in to how he grew up trying to impress his mother whom he eventually lost. Sparing but powerful piano melodies ring throughout the track and a female voice lends backup in a few key moments. To me, this track feels like sitting on the dock watching the waves lap against the bulkhead, reflecting on all the intricacies of the past. That may just be the Jersey Shore in me.
Speaking of the Jersey Shore, The Boss is on this album. Bruce Springsteen proves that he is still a rockstar on track 15 called Sandpaper. Seemingly inspired by Springsteen’s classic song “I’m On Fire”, Sandpaper keeps a constant and fast-paced groove that is balanced with soft and thought-provoking dissections of love. In the first verse, Bryan’s lyrics sound almost like a confession reading “I ain’t scared of death, I’m scared of losing you”. He is so infatuated with the song’s subject that he claims they are drilled into his mind. After a building chorus, Bruce sings his verse which feels like an older and wiser retelling of Zach’s thoughts in the prior lyrics. Bruce reflects on his past with this person and his life as a whole before repeating the song’s hook, “You’re like sandpaper, The more I try, you bind”. It seems like Bruce and Zach are singing of a love they will never quite get over.
Ladened with classic Bruce Springsteen staples such as unique verse melodies and high pitched harmonies in the bridge, this song feels like a perfect tribute to the Boss’s history with a new, modern twist. Overall, this album is further proof that Zach Bryan will continue to be an explosive force in the music scene. Brutally honest and only himself, his music is very relatable for so many people and serves as a welcomed breather from the glitz and glamor of most popular music right now. In the words of Zach, “Grab your beer through tears and fears” and give this album a listen.
- Thomas W. Hagan
