Zach Bryan is one of the hottest acts in country music right now, whether he wants that label or not. He emphasizes all the qualities that make a great country song. Never too divorced from the backroads, the endless straw fields, the distinct warmth you could only get from being out in the country.
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Nowadays, Zach Bryan is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Breakup drama and strong accusations from his ex flood the news as she goes off on Bryan on her podcast. Amidst all of this, he's keeping his head down, finishing his Quittin Time tour and previewing his songs like nothing's happening. Time will tell what's made of this. What we know for certain is that he's among the premier country artists working today. Consequently, we'll be sifting through his discography so far and whittling down his Mount Rushmore of songs to date.
The Four Best Zach Bryan Songs (So Far)
"Summertime's Close"
Perhaps Bryan's most heartbreaking song, magnified by the love he presents in his writing. He sings about a woman Zach loves dearly just to crash at the end of the hook with a devastating line: "I lost faith in the world a long time ago."
The verses that follow see the slow decline in the woman's health. The reality of her sickness doesn't really set in until he mentions the "bandana tanline" on her forehead so others didn't notice. It's subtle but it definitely suggests she had cancer. Then, Zach crushes with that hook again and leaves us with the crushing loneliness. "I just put some beer on ice and tonight I'm dancing for two," he finishes.
It's all incredibly stark stuff from Bryan. The defeatist nature in his writing shows a man struggling to grasp the meaning of life when it's so quickly stripped away from him. However, the thesis in these kinds of records remain the same for Zach. Grief is love prospering in memory, even when the loss is rooted in pain.
"Holy Roller"
"Holy Roller" is probably the simplest, most straightforward of all the Zach Bryan records to date. Oftentimes, he spends time setting the scenery or pontificating on the little details. He definitely does a little bit of that here, the big, goofy grins after swigging a bottle of Tito's. It's just good writing to highlight the small things. However, he mostly softly croons aside Sierra Ferrell about how they've never been perfect but the closest thing to God exists in their lover. "Coming down and coming up there a place for good love on the river's edge darling. I know home's not far from here. From sun down to sun up, there's a place for good rest in the warm months honey. I found god in your eyes dear," they sing.
It's deeply romantic, how Zach and Sierra amplifies the faults in themselves just to find peace and serenity in their partner. It's the sunny glow in the guitars, the way they harmonize on every line, it feels like the perfect love.
"She Wants a Cowboy"
I often lament how a lot of artists don't know how to deliver humor in their songs. George Strait is probably the only one I can recall who really understood how to pull it off. Not many musicians have a "All My Exes Live in Texas" or "Ocean Front Property" in their bag of tricks. As much as I like Zach Bryan as a songwriter, I don't usually go to him for irony. His earnestness is what makes him warm and compelling.
However, "She Wants a Cowboy" has all the makings of a hilarious rodeo throw down. Bryan tries to put on a cowboy aesthetic for the woman he's courting and lists out all the ways he plans on doing it. Get the right boots, get the big ol' boots, learn to 2-step, ride horses, do all the things he knows cowboys to do. By the third verse, he's mastered everything Zach could to be the best cowboy.
However, all the ranching and outfit changes don't matter anyway because the girl wants Nashville now. It's a good bit of irony but he doesn't stop there. Zach alters the chorus slightly and jeers at the country music industry by putting a coat of autotune when he sings, "If she wants Nashville, I'll Nashville the best." It's a delicious bit of pettiness and a sharp criticism of modern country standards. Maybe that explains why he told Springsteen he doesn't want to be known as a country singer.
"Pink Skies"
I'd argue this is Zach Bryan's best song to date, an encapsulation of all his greatest traits as an artist. The natural, roots-y howl of the harmonica, the grassy guitars, the way his verses and choruses cascade into one another, it's all here. However, he juxtaposes all of these perfect musical choices against the starkness of grief, highlighting his stellar writing and storytelling.
"Pink Skies" captures the fullness of grief; the tears drying up at the funeral, the sweet and funny memories grace our brains to cope with the sadness. When Zach howls "I bet God heard you coming," it feels titanic, like heaven was granted its greatest angel. These are the things we tell ourselves to help grapple with the losses of someone we love. Rather than stew in our loss, "Pink Skies" offers us the opportunity to celebrate life with the young blood we have left.
