The rise of Zach Top has been nothing short of incredible. Touted as the ‘next big thing in country’ by just about every big source, the anticipation and pressure on this sophomore album couldn’t be much higher. His debut album was just last year and was massive, already netting him 8.5 million monthlys on Spotify alone. So, when we got sent this through, I just had to see what it was like, even if we did sadly miss Cold Beer & Country Music. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
Opener ‘Guitar’ sets the tone perfectly; being an upbeat boot-stomper. It also feels so very old-school in the best possible way, immediately giving off a modernised Brooks & Dunn vibe. The guitaring is great, and Zach’s vocals fit it perfectly, a real traditional twang to them! The chorus is at the same sort of level as the rest of the track yet still felt not only distinct, but catchy and easy to sing along to. The lyrics, while pretty standard country fair, are written very well and are incredibly believably delivered. We even get an awesome, very fitting duel guitar solo tucked away in the middle. Yeah, this whole song is amazing. It’s probably exactly what a lot of the general publics go-to sound is when they think of country, but I mean that in the best way possible! The perfect way to open, and an easy early highlight!
The great vibes continue through ‘Good Times and Tan Lines’, this time it including some fantastic fiddle for good measure! It also gives off some Buffett for sure, but that may be because of the topic. It’s another excellent chorus too, one that’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come! And another incredible guitar solo bridges the gap between said choruses perfectly. It’s a simple arrangement and a short track, but another damn good one!
‘When You See Me’ slows things down a lot, giving off more of a Willie or Williams feel to it. It’s honestly incredible that someone so young has such a tight grasp of the traditional country sound! The chorus is yet again excellent, with the harmonies in it being flawless. It suddenly gives off a lot of Midland vibes too, which I can’t complain about at all! It’s a smooth, beautifully chilled-out song and another that it’s impossible not to love!
Much like with ‘Good Times…’, ‘Splitsville’ continues a similar vibe to the previous track. However, I have to say I somehow enjoy the chorus even more than the other slower track; it’s catchy as anything and incredibly well written. In fact, it’s fantastically written throughout, and is another massive personal highlight, and a track that easily makes it onto our playlist!
Songs like ‘Between the Ditches’, ‘Livin’ a Lie’, ‘I Know a Place’ and ‘She Makes’ are all slower, old-school tracks, again very much like Hank Williams Jr or Waylon Jennings or Don McLean. None are bad by any stretch, in fact ‘Livin’’ may be one of my favourite tracks on the album. However, all have a pretty similar feel and, with this being a pretty long album, I didn’t want to drone on and repeat myself over and over and make for an uninteresting read. If this sort of slower side of country is your style, I cannot recommend checking them out enough!
‘Flip Flop’ once again gives that beachy Buffett feeling in the best way possible. Also, the lyrics are absolutely fantastic, immediately reminding me of Blake Shelton. It’s a breakup/heartbreak song, but is so lighthearted and silly that it’s incredibly fun to listen to! It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s a masterfully written track that somehow bridges the gap between old-school and modern perfectly. And yes, it is yet another huge highlight!
‘Tightrope’ is another bouncy, faster neo-traditional track, much like ‘Like I Want You’ and the closer. Again, all are excellent, with ‘Honky Tonk Till it Hurts’ being one of my favourite tracks on the album. But, like the slower songs, there’s a lot of music on this thing and it’s easier to clump up similar songs. All are right up my street in terms of country music, and I’d recommend them to absolutely anyone!
Single ‘South of Sanity’ is a real epic affair. It almost feels like Zach’s answer to ‘Country Boy Can Survive’, the piano and guitar working so well together, and all building towards an amazing, bigger, arena-filling chorus! The lyrics throughout the track are also the best on the album, so full of emotion in the words and delivery. It’s another traditional sounding song, but is so well put together that I’m sure almost every country fan out there will agree that this is an amazing song!
‘Country Boy Blues’ is surprisingly the most modern-sounding track, in this writers humble opinion. It reminds me a little of the likes of Randall King, which certainly isn’t a bad thing! It’s another great song that feels like a combination of a lot of the rest of the album, all of it rolled into this one three minute track. The same could kinda be said for ‘Lovin’ the Wrong Things’, even if it is again on the slower end. Both are excellent tracks that are so easy to listen to, this whole thing barely feeling like it really even has album tracks on it, wild given its length!
Overall: This is an awesome album! Right off the bat it won’t be everyone’s bag; it’s very traditional in sound and nature. However, if you are into the older style of country music, I cannot recommend checking this out enough! The modern pop sound is stripped away, as really is much of the semblance of southern rock, it’s just straight-up, working man country, and it’s awesome! It’s a damn fun listen packed full of awesome vocals, solos and writing, and went by in a flash. I’m eager for him to play over here so I can see him live, as a big country band playing a lot of this would be phenomenal.
The Score: 8.5/10