Zach Bryan is known for his storytelling within his music. His latest release, “With Heaven On Top,” features songs about family, yearning, and fame.
Bryan did not release any singles before the full album, but he often sings unreleased songs on social media and live on tour, so fans already knew several songs from the record, such as “Bad News” and “Dry Deserts.”
The wide range of themes and styles of the songs make sure that there is a track for everyone. Even those who don’t enjoy music are included — Bryan starts the album with a poem titled “Down, Down, Stream.”
Bryan has included poems on his past three albums, and they have quickly become a staple of his records. His latest poem sets the tone for the rest of the album, telling listeners that you have to move on from everything eventually.
The mood and pace varies from song to song, including slow, emotional songs like “Cannonball” and faster intense songs such as “Say Why,” which is one of my favorites. Bryan’s ability to produce well-written songs with diverse moods is part of what makes him such a good artist.
On January 8, Bryan announced on Instagram that he would also be releasing an acoustic version of the album.
“I’m assuming this record is just like all the other ones and there’s gonna be a billion people saying it’s over produced…so I sat down in a room by myself and recorded all the songs acoustically,” Bryan said.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Two songs from the album reached Bryan’s most streamed list on Spotify: “Plastic Cigarette,” with over 26 million streams and “Say Why” with over 17 million streams.
Some of my favorites from the album are “Rivers and Creeks,” “Cannonball,” and “You Can Still Come Home.” All three songs have a nostalgic sound and remind listeners that everything, good or bad, passes, and as long as you can always find home, everything will be okay.
“DeAnn’s Denim,” another lyrical masterpiece, is sure to make my Spotify Wrapped this winter. The song tackles concepts of responsibility and disappointing family.
“Did you become what your mama wanted you to be? And are you strong enough to stay away from family genes? ‘Cause DeAnn’s denim was a stubborn thing,” Bryan sings.
My favorite thing about the song is the way the homophones “jean” and “gene” are used. The denim mentioned in the title refers to family, and the old blue jeans Bryan “threw on the floor” represent letting go of trauma.
Bryan has proven himself to be an amazing songwriter once again through his soulful, deep music on “With Heaven On Top.”
