Zach Bryan’s “The Great American Bar Scene” is a solid album that showcases why Zach Bryan is one of the most exciting artists in music today. Released over the summer on July 4, 2024, it is packed with deep emotion, rich storytelling, and memorable melodies. The album perfectly recreates the vibe of sitting all alone and reminiscing on past memories, good and bad.
The album starts with the track “Lucky Enough,” a song that has Bryan speaking about his wishes for the future. It excellently sets the tone for the album with Bryans soft and moody vocals, which can be seen across Bryans entire catalogue.
Throughout the album, Bryan pulls you into stories of love, loss, and life with tracks like “American Nights” and “Oak Island”, which are some of the fan favorites from the album. Another song that stands out is “Pink Skies”, where Bryan dwells on moving on from the past and heading forward in life. Many of the songs on the album leave you feeling hurt and moved, making the listener experience an emotionally touching experience.
That being said, the album does have some weak points. With 19 tracks the album comes to an hour and 3 minutes, leaving some songs to feel like filler. It also does not help that the songs tend to have a slower pace and feature repetition which might turn some listeners off. Still, some songs are just incredible due to Bryans talent. His lyrics feel relatable, like you can picture yourself going through the same struggles, and his vocals make even the simplest lines hit hard.
Is it his best album? Maybe not. But it’s a strong addition to his already rich catalog and proves Zach Bryan is here to stay for some time. Fans of heartfelt music will not be disappointed by this solid effort from one of music’s newest stars.