New Album Review: Zach Bryan- American Heartbreak

Zach Bryan- American Heartbreak

Label: Warner

Producers: Zach Bryan, Eddie Spear, Louie Nice, Colton Jean, and Ryan Hadlock

In a move that may come across as everything from brilliant and ballsy to arrogant and ridiculous, Zach Bryan launches the major label era of his career with a whopping triple album, spreading across thirty-four songs. But here’s the truly impressive thing about the daunting American Heartbreak: it’s absolutely worth exploring every moment gifted us here from this excellent singer-songwriter, who suddenly emerges as talent with the potential to be one of the truly generational and game-changing creative forces of his time. This album is a tremendous gamble, and it pays off in droves. Bryan displays a resume brimming with soulful vocal performances, a showman’s presence, and a guttural lyrical gift that immediately positions him as an artist who could easily join an artist like Chris Stapleton in bridging that gap between the mainstream sphere of modern country-rock royalty like Eric Church and the Americana glory land of poetic geniuses like Jason Isbell. From the opening line of this opus, “I heard life is what passes when you’re too busy living, and love is at its finest when times are hard”, we’re instantly put on notice that something truly poetic and prolific is about to unfold. And as one stellar song after another introduces itself (there are far too many highlights to thoroughly highlight, but “Late July”, “Something In the Orange”, “Heavy Eyes”, “’68 Flashback”, and “Sober Side of Sorry” are my favorites at the moment), that premonition becomes reality. It matters not whether Bryan is being supported by a rollicking sea of electric guitars or merely a harmonica, he emotes his lyrics in a way that makes the listener feel like he’s speaking only to them, and like you’re experiencing what he’s signing about together, side-by-side. He actually manages to leave you wanting more after six sides and thirty-plus tracks. American Heartbreak is one of those rare musical triumphs that emphasizes what an important art-form the creation of records truly is. A future classic without any question.

Track Listing:

1. “Late July” (Zach Bryan)
2. “Something In the Orange” (Bryan)
3. “Heavy Eyes” (Bryan)
4. “Mine Again” (Bryan)
5. “Happy Instead” (Bryan
6. “Right Now the Best” (Bryan)
7. “The Outskirts” (Bryan)
8. “Younger Years” (Bryan)
9. “Cold Damn Vampires” (Bryan)
10. “Tishomingo” (Bryan)
11. “She’s Alright” (Bryan)
12. “You Are My Sunshine” (Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell)
13. “Darling” (Bryan)
14. “Ninth Cloud” (Bryan)
15. “Oklahoma City” (Bryan)
16. “Sun to Me” (Bryan)
17. “Highway Boys” (Bryan)
18. “Whiskey Fever” (Bryan)
19. “Billy Stay” (Bryan)
20. “Sober Side of Sorry” (Bryan)
21. “High Beams” (Bryan)
22. “The Good I’ll Do” (Bryan)
23. “Someday (Maggie’s)” (Bryan)
24. “Poems and Closing Time” (Bryan)
25. “From Austin” (Bryan)
26. “If She Wants A Cowboy” (Bryan)
27. “Corinthians (Proctor’s)” (Bryan)
28. “Open the Gate” (Bryan)
29. “Half Grown” (Bryan)
30. “No Cure” (Bryan)
31. “68 Fastback” (Bryan)
32. “Blue” (Bryan)
33. “Morning Time” (Bryan)
34. “This Road I Know” (Bryan)