The Great American Bar Scene - Zach Bryan: Review
Review by Lavender:
Zach Bryan is one of the most interesting artists operating in country music today. He had his breakthrough in 2022 when his spectacular single Something In The Orange became a surprise chart hit. That single landed on a massive album 34-song album with over two hours of material. He followed it up last year with his more conventional-length self-titled album and has now circled back once again with 19 songs that make up a full new hour of material. While his work ethic is undeniably impressive, I was curious whether or not he would be able to maintain his consistency as a songwriter. As it turns out he has no trouble at all.
With 19 songs that largely exist inside the same mold, fusing together elements of country and folk, there are bound to be some tracks that don't hold up as well. Surprisingly it's some of the songs with featured guests that come up the shortest when you'd think they'd be the ones adding variety. Purple Gas is a fine song that I liked enough as a single but outside of that context, it's just an okay moment on the record. Memphis: The Blues tributes the city and its distinctive style with John Moreland along for the ride but it really fails to separate itself from the millions of other songs just like it.
My least favorite song on the entire record is Better Days which I was already pretty suspicious of seeing that John Mayer features on it. Even worse, it has one of the only vocal performances I've ever heard from Zach that I don't like. Even Bruce fucking Springsteen is on this album lending his vocals to the track Sandpaper. Rather than trying to meet the boss at his own style the pair largely stick to Zach's formula, except one of the verses is just bizarrely sung by Bruce Springsteen. There are a few other blips in the tracklist, songs that aren't duds but don't exactly stand out like Boons, or cuts with great vocals that don't have a whole ton else to offer like Funny Man.
But getting past all of those, it's extremely impressive what this album is capable of serving up. Let's talk songwriting first, because Zach Bryan continues to improve with every new release. The album leads off with an introductory poem called Lucky Enough that I can imagine some people may breeze over but you shouldn't, as it's an INCREDIBLY impressive piece of writing that's a perfect start to the album. Just a few songs later the title track serves as a fitting thesis for the record explaining the principles behind what makes a "great bar" and how enamored Zach is with some of the rougher edges.
28 is a huge highlight that could become the defining "28-years-old" song forever if there's any justice. That isn't necessarily because it's universal in its details, more so that it perfectly captures how long 28 years feels like to figure something out, but how much time you have left to enjoy it after you do. The Way Back begins somberly but eventually works towards something triumphant in a similar way to East Side Of Sorrow from Zach's last album, a high compliment coming from me. Songwriting highlights are abound all over the record from the motivational Like Ida to the sneakily soulful Northern Thunder.
Just as common on the album are moments where that great songwriting is weaved right into excellent instrumentation and world-class vocal performances from Zach. Pink Skies served as the lead single and I absolutely loved it, the album wraps up just after a new version of the song that I also adore. Mechanical Bull is a stripped-down Dylan-esque folk song packed full of all the vivid details and memorable refrains that comparison warrants.
American Nights is the first uptempo jam on the record and it's absolutely sticky with yet another killer vocal performance and memorable refrains overflowing out of every moment. That leads directly into Oak Island which returns to a more emotional poise but serves up equally infectious moments. The way Zach raises the intensity of his performance alongside the rise of the song in the second half is excellent and the psychedelic guitar that erupts on the bridge is another excellent moment.
Speaking of excess instrumentation, the record largely sticks to its guns but when it makes moves to bring in new elements that almost always pays off. Bass Boat isn't exactly a duet but it has some delightful backing vocals that add a ton to its already incredibly strong songwriting. One of the best songs on the album is Towers which brings every great element of the record together. It's a ballad with a surprise gospel choir backing it that fits perfectly alongside the track's questions about the nature of god. It's one of the grandest moments on the record but still never loses track of its earnest songwriting.
I never thought I'd say this, but The Great American Bar Scene may be Zach Bryan's best album yet. I wasn't expecting it because his self-titled last year felt like a dialing-in point, a transition from the massive dumps of two hours of songs into a more precise and focused album. In the release of a 19-track hour-long record less than a year later it felt like Zach was returning to old habits. But far from it, Bar Scene serves up almost no duds and features a remarkably consistent collection of songs that includes some of his best tracks to date, it's just that simple. 8/10
