Zach Bryan - With Heaven On Top

Jan 15

At first glance, this monster 25-song album had me concerned. I feel like the only albums of this size come from a big name rapper looking for a cash grab. 3 or 4 hits and a whole lot of filler. I must have listened to this entire collection at least 5 times through already, and I can confidently say there really isn’t any filler to be found here. However, since the album is so large, it’s hard for me to say what it is or what it isn’t. Sure, there are some songs that have nearly the exact same melodies and cadences of some of his previous hits, but I liked those then, and I still like hearing them now. There’s enough variety and stylistically new content to keep listeners engaged and excited.

I felt like he experimented a little more with his vocal range on some of these songs. From a near whisper to a thundering growl in the same sentence, he often pushed the envelope in that regard, especially on “Always Willin’”, probably my second favorite track on the album. He also goes way up the octave scale in a few instances, a playful switch up that I don’t think we’ve really heard from him before.

I liked how he really rocked out with a full band on several of these tracks. “Appetite” has a huge chorus with a big sound. Love the energy it creates.

Finally, he let loose on a couple of these, giving us an almost Jimmy Buffet/Kenny Chesney vibe at times. It’s not the entirety of the song, but there are moments that have a really fun sound and offer a fresh change of pace. “Rivers and Creeks” is a great example of this, and is probably my favorite track of the bunch.

I’m not sure how he did it, but he found a way to release 25 songs that all have a place on this album, and all (or almost all) should have a place in your listening library as well. I actually think it was pretty risky of him to release an album of this size, but his gamble paid off big time.