Album Review – Zac Brown Band’s “Jekyll + Hyde”
“What gives Zac Brown Band a lot more creative latitude with their music is the fact that they’re honest about not really being country. We’re all music fans first, and then our loyalties split down the lines of various genres. If only more artists were honest about their intentions, it would give us the opportunity to enjoy the music more.”
—From Saving Country Music’s review of the song “Homegrown” originally posted January 12th, 2015.
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Any fan of music should want to like a certain piece of music set before them more than they should not want to like it as a predisposition. Many times our loyalties and tastes in music split down cultural divisions that really have nothing to do with the quality of the music itself, and these prejudices stifle our ability to get the most enjoyment out of our musical experience. As Saving Country Music has said many times on the subject of the Zac Brown Band—whether in positive takes on the first single from this album “Homegrown,” or the bands last release The Grohl Sessions—you have to lay down your country music loyalties to gain the greatest enjoyment from their music, and music fans should be more than willing to do so instead of bellyaching about how country an album is or isn’t, or being in opposition to even listening to Zac Brown Band because their first single was “Chicken Fried.”
But none of this gives carte blanche to any artist or band to toy with the emotions and loyalties of their listeners, whatever the reason might be for them to wander out of their corner of the music world, or journey beyond the comfort zone of their average fan.
When Zac Brown Band decided to start off their new album with the most unfortunate EDM dance club song “Beautiful Drug,” they immediately broke the covenant between artist and fan. To start the album out with this song was a fireable offense, and despite whatever transpired next, the experience was soured for all but a small segment of listeners who either truly enjoyed the song, or are blinded by loyalty. You want to release a song like “Beautiful Drug” so you can land a serious single on pop radio under the idea of exposing all of your music to a broader audience? Okay, we can have that discussion. But bury it in the track list, especially since you have sixteen songs to insulate it.
But the first track is not where issues with Jekyll + Hyde cease. Since “Beautiful Drug” was the first song, it stuck out, but there’s not much difference between it and the electronic approach to “Tomorrow Never Comes.” Of course there’s not as much vitriol or even discussion about it, because it’s buried in the track list, and released with an alternative acoustic version.
Let’s take the fact that there’s very little that is truly country on this album, and set that aside. Forget about how Zac Brown came up through the country ranks, all the country awards, or the fact that this review is being published on a website called “Saving Country Music.” Wipe the slate clean, and let’s just look at this album as music. And even in this light, it is still a disjointed mess.
Music is not a skills competition. This isn’t the decathlon. They don’t hand out Grammy Awards for the band that can play songs from the most genres. They give Grammys to the artists who steady themselves and prove they are the best in a given musical discipline. I’ll give credit to the backing band of Weird Al for their alacrity. With the Zac Brown Band, I just want to hear good songs. I’m not impressed that they can segue from a Frank Sinatra-inspired sonnet into progressive grunge. If I’m feeling in those moods, I’ll go listen to the bands and artists who’ve mastered those mediums and made music from inspiration, instead of someone trying to impress me with their shape shifting ability.
Still, are there some good songs on Jekyll + Hyde? Sure there are, and surprise surprise Gomer Pyle, they’re the ones that fit best into Zac Brown Band’s already-established sphere of Southern-style rock.
What about everything else? Why is this album such a hodgepodge? I’m not exactly sure. There’s a few theories. Maybe it’s self-indulgence on the Zac Brown Band’s part. A song like “Mango Tree” may be fun to play, and it’s probably not the place for any fan or critic to get in the way of the artist’s own enjoyment in the music they make. But choosing to include “Mango Tree” on a full featured album was a grave mistake. You want to go out there and play ballroom crooner with Sara Bareilles? Hey, knock yourself out. But don’t make your Southern rock-oriented fans have to sit through it. It’s not the right place. Throw it out on a Record Store Day special release. Make it a hidden track for attentive folks to get a kick out of. But don’t speed bump your first LP in three years with side project material. Have more respect for your listeners.
Maybe Jekyll + Hyde is Zac Brown Band’s attempt to dominate the entire music world by releasing singles that cover just about every discipline of music, eventually shaping the band into the Dave Matthews of our day. We already know Zac Brown is into empire building with his food line and festivals, his clothing and accessories, with the music and touring being the centerpiece of it all. Jekyll + Hyde definitely feels like it’s meant to be a flagship, with sixteen little side boats that can be cast off and bring back new parishioners under the Zac Brown Band umbrella.
But without knowing the exact intentions of Jekyll + Hyde (and I wouldn’t trust whatever intelligence comes out in the media, because it’s likely to just be more marketing), the album is still rich with symbolism for where music is today in the mainstream. Nobody is making albums; they’re making collections of singles. Similarly to Eric Church’s The Outsiders, this is just a collection of songs with no cohesive theme, despite what appears to be a grand approach to the project. There’s too much music here to crunch in one sitting, and the songs don’t compliment each other and equal a greater number than the sum of their parts; they clash and create confusion.
There’s some great artistry and instrumentation on this album, but you have to sift through so much chaff to get to it. And how are you supposed to compliment the instrumentation of an album that crosses the Rubicon of introducing electronic drum beats and synthesizers into their music?
As for the idea that Jekyll + Hyde embodies some sort of evolution of popular music, and that it’s not their fault if they ruffle the feathers of a few listeners in the process. “Evolution” is the most overused cover for commercial exploitation that has ever been concocted in country music, and those flimsy arguments weren’t holding up when they were being refuted five years ago, and today they just feel laughable. Frank Zappa was evolving popular music with Hot Rats in 1969. Phish was too with Junta in 1992. Zac Brown Band is just trying to keep Scott Borchetta and John Varvatos happy with their investment, and throwing in a few progressive songs that in reality are more interpretive than original in the process.
Making it even worse, everyone on Music Row has been parroting the whole “evolution” manta for so long now, they’re starting to believe their own bullshit, and it’s starting to result in unfortunate albums just like this.
It all just feels so calculated. Great albums come from inspiration. They come from artists feeling something, or experiencing something, and then taking that something and articulating it through music that falls within the discipline of their roots and interests. Give all the points you want to Zac Brown Band for technical proficiency, but even then if you get right down to it, there’s bands and musicians out there that could run circles around these guys, and guess what, they’re probably making uninspired music too. The entire Jekyll + Hyde experience just makes me sad for the music world we live in today, because it makes you wonder if you’ll ever hear another legendary album you’ll be listening to 30 years from now.
I want to like the Zac Brown Band, and this album especially. At the start of 2015, this was one of the most-anticipated projects, stemming from the creative momentum from the Dave Grohl EP, their shepherding of Sturgill Simpson on his meteoric rise, and the inclusion of Jason Isbell’s “Dress Blues” (which feels like it just gets lost in the shuffle). Yes there’s a few good songs and let’s not slight them in this process. But I’m sorry, the effort as a whole is sub par, whether you consider it beside mainstream country peers, or without considering genre at all.
ALBUM GRADE: 1 1/2 of 2 Guns Down.
SONG GRADES
PLEASE NOTE: When grading albums, the entirety of the work has to be considered, including cohesiveness and theme. Songs however are graded on their individual merit. So this is not a mathematical equation. Please don’t attempt to say that either the album grade or song grades don’t make sense based off of one another and mathematical reasoning. The intent of offering individual song grades is to highlight the worthy songs on a lengthy and very diverse album.
1. “Beautiful Drug”
Rating: Two guns way down – “There is one thing to take away from “Beautiful Drug” and one thing only: Zac Brown wants your fucking money America. I would label this a sellout moment, but even that seems to slight just what depravity of character the Zac Brown Band evidences by releasing this song, especially as the first track on an album.” (read full review)
2. “Loving You Easy”
Rating: One Gun Up – Another single from the record, the song skims above the flotsam and jetsam of modern country that is riding a wave of R&B influenced singles in the lack of any real direction. By having a bit more of a vintage feel with the strings in the background and some lyrical depth, it separates itself from the heard, but still doesn’t offer the listener much.
3. “Remedy”
Rating: 1 3/4 Guns Up – Though the song, like this album, feels a little busy and disparate in place, this is the Zac Brown Band zeroing in on what they do best. They turn in an inspired song and performance, the outside influences feel endearing as opposed to forced, and the harmonies are heavenly.
4. “Homegrown”
Rating: 1 1/2 Guns Up – “Homegrown” won’t mint Zac Brown Band any awards, but it’s a really solid track, savvy as a first single from a new album by being accessible, slightly adventurous, and pleasantly familiar, making you anticipate what else they may have baking in the oven.” (read full review)
5. “Mango Tree”
Rating: 1 1/2 Guns Down – Not as much of a bad song as a bad decision to include it on a project like this. In another context, it could be refreshing and unexpected. Here however, it seems misplaced and self-indulgent.
6. “Heavy Is The Head”
Rating: 1 1/2 Guns Up – The song itself just tries a little too hard, and comes across more as interpretive of some sort of Soundgarden style of progressive metal as opposed to a cool, original composition. Nonetheless, Zac Brown Band uses the track to prove their technical adeptness and a tenacity that you may have not known was in them. Something that shouldn’t be overlooked is the lyrics in the song, which might actually be some of the best on the album. Maybe a little too “Game of Thrones” for some, but they illustrate some serious depth.
7. “Bittersweet”
Rating: 1 1/2 Guns Up – A sweet, imitate song with a good pentameter and dynamics. A little too easy to get lost from though, and this is aided by the fact that it’s too quiet. Every time this song came up when listening, I had to check if someone had turned the volume down. The mixing was a little overthought perhaps, but a solid effort.
8. “Castaway”
Rating: 1 1/2 Guns Down – Oh great. Another beach song. Catchy, I guess.
9. “Tomorrow Never Comes”
Rating: Two Guns Down – Once again this is the Zac Brown Band veering into the EDM dance club world. Compared to “Beautiful Drug” there a little bit more depth in the lyrics, but just barely. It’s pretty unforgivable.
10. “One Day”
Rating: 1 1/4 Guns Up. Another attempt to ride the R&B trend, but again the vintage feel and arrangement is something much easier to appreciate than its peers. This is still sort of out of Zac Brown Band’s comfort zone, and just makes you wonder why we need a song like this. What is the point? There’s plenty of songs that sound like this, but are better.
11. “Dress Blues”
Rating: 1 3/4 Guns Up – Unfortunately this track feels a little overlooked with everything else going on, but it is by far the most country track of the record, and Zac Brown’s fiddle player finally has something to do. The electric guitar in the middle of the song could have used some reigning in, but overall it’s a fine take. Interesting to note that this is the only song on the album not co-written by Zac Brown. He must have really liked this Jason Isbell composition.
12. “Young and Wild”
Rating: 1 1/2 Guns Down – Ugh. Well the good thing about having three songs that require a DJ to perform similarly live is you can justify the expense of bringing one out on the road. So many unfortunate decisions were made on this song that wasn’t especially good compositionally to begin with, but wasn’t terrible. Can’t stop thinking about Kenny Chesney’s “Wild Child” when listening to this.
13. “Junkyard”
Rating: One Gun Up – I want to get into this song, but I feel like Zac Brown is auditioning for the soundtrack of the new Mad Max reboot or a video game. Yes, bravo that this band has the prowess to pull a song like this off, but it’s too disjointed. I think there’s a good message here, but it’s sort of hard to discern. Good effort on a fairly forgettable song.
14. “I’ll Be Your Man (Song for a Daughter)”
Rating: 1 1/2 Guns Up – This is a very sweet song, but the reggae-ish vibe at the beginning veers it too close to being yet another island song offering, which at this point in Zac’s career should be avoided. Really this is two songs, with the first half offering really good songwriting, and the second offering an excellent multi-layer singing performance. But just like much of the album, it just tries too hard, and doesn’t really expose the heart of the inspiration behind the song. It relies too much on being wowed by whats going on as opposed to feeling something embodied in a sentiment. It tries at the beginning to do this, but then gets somewhat suffocated. Still, it’s one of the better tracks. PS: The cajón is the scourge of modern country.
15. “Wildfire”
Rating: One Gun Up – I don’t know. My head hurts. So much going on. Let the song breathe.
16. “Tomorrow Never Comes (Acoustic Version)”
Rating: 1 3/4 Guns Down – Nice try, but this song just doesn’t have the lyrical or thematic depth to even work stripped down. I appreciate the approach, but it may have been more cool to do with a song that actually says something.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:27 pm
Seems about right. Well written, sir.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:29 pm
I said before on the Beautiful Drug review and I will say it again.
He is testing our faith to see if we’ll stuck with him or if we’ll label him “sellout” and basically shout “crucify him!”
Watch his next album be 100% true blue back to the roots country music.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:44 pm
I am praying that you are right about the next album…
August 17, 2015 @ 10:48 pm
I enjoy Zac Brown band for what they are, a dynamic band that parses many genres. They shine when playing a more traditional country music, but I enjoy their non traditional songs as well. They are a refresher in a sea of stale ass country music songs.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:32 pm
I think we were eventually bound to get something like this from ZBB. They always had a mix of styles like country and southern rock with reggae and pop rock influences. They even went full on hard rock with the last EP. So it doesn’t surprise me that they took their evolution even further with the new album. They’re trying new things and reworking the old formula on a few tracks also. I actually like a lot more of this album than you did. It’s not their best, no, but “You Get What You Give” would be a high watermark for any band to surpass.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:45 pm
Excellent Review!
April 29, 2015 @ 6:49 pm
He’s changing all the way around. He used to be chubby, wear that beanie, dress like a Carhartt model and sing just plain old good music. Now he wears top hats with feathers, tailored suits, eye liner… It’s like he’s become the crazy, slicked up, Mad Hatter version of himself. Maybe he was just bored of singing the same stuff or maybe he’s having a mid life crisis, who knows, but I feel like Chicken Fried Beanie Zac may have kicked Feathered Tophat Zac’s ass though.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:55 pm
Outstanding.
April 29, 2015 @ 7:02 pm
I don’t think he’s ever worn eye liner though hahaahha
April 29, 2015 @ 7:27 pm
He looks good.
April 30, 2015 @ 6:44 am
I was thinking the same thing, kind of strange that his appearance and music has all kind of suddenly changed, hope that’s not a gateway leading to something worse like crappier music, oh wait…
May 4, 2015 @ 2:10 pm
“Leading to something worse like crappier music………”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Gaines
God have mercy on us all……….
April 29, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
Usually a fan of your reviews, but this one really showed the hard-headed critic you are. Come on now, this was one of the best mainstream albums released in any genre in quite a while. Was there a couple unfortunate songs on here? Yeah (beautiful drug, mango tree) but there was so much good on this album that you refused to acknowledge. An album doesn’t have to have a theme to be good; if there’s good music on it, it’s good. You’ve never really given zbb the credit they entirely deserve for whatever reason. I suggest you check these guys out in concert sometime to see how talented this whole band is.
While I completely agree with your views on how shitty mainstream country is as well as other genres; this is one band who puts an effort to make good music with substance to it. Just because it’s not Merle, Hank jr, or underground country doesn’t mean it’s not good.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:10 pm
Lucas,
If you disagree with my review I totally understand that. Opinions are subjective and can’t be argued. I know there’s a lot of Zac Brown fans who probably don’t think very highly of me right now, but it is my job to call them as I see them, and that’s what I did here.
Just a couple of things I want to respectfully disagree about, I did post positive reviews for both the Dave Grohl EP and the song “Homegrown,” and I had never written a negative review for Zac until “Beautiful Drug.”
Also I respectfully disagree that I refused to acknowledge the good on the album. That’s why I took the extra time to list each song with an individual grade. Even though I wasn’t particularly impressed with this album, I do think there’s some good songs on it, so I wanted to give everyone a resource to find those songs, at least based off of my opinion.
If you think this is a great album, then that’s all that matters. The point of this review was not to persuade you differently, it was just to give my personal assessment.
April 30, 2015 @ 9:22 pm
Have you thought of it like this… The first half of the album is a tribute to the music that influenced Zac. Each song is a very defined genre. It’s a way of explaining the back half of the album, where each song bends genre lines within itself. That’s the way I heard the album.
May 2, 2015 @ 4:57 pm
If that is the case, he should have started the album with the second half, and finished with the first. To me, the first 6 songs are interesting. I don’t like how they jump around between clashing genres, almost intentionally, but I do enjoy most of them. And yes, I enjoy Beautiful Drug, but I enjoy music like that as well as country and rock and pretty much anything. I understand the criticism. I just think there could have been a way to rearrange the songs to get more flow. Right now it sounds like they recorded 16 tracks and hit shuffle and sent the playlist to iTunes.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:51 pm
Bittersweet crushes me. So sad.
Take out beautiful drug, mango tree, and tomorrow never comes, and then you have an album that explores new territory and tinkers with the old. Also, they should’ve opened the album with Remedy or bittersweet.
I think the album is much better after you sift through a little bit of bull shit (ZBB should’ve done this for us, but whatever, that’s why Steve Jobs made a skip button on my phone)
April 29, 2015 @ 8:12 pm
I agree. The bad songs were like anchors on this album more so than normal, especially since the biggest one started it off. But that doesn’t mean there’s not some good songs here.
April 29, 2015 @ 9:46 pm
I haven’t been listening to it with the bad songs deleted and I’m enjoying it way more.
As a teenager, I’m more naturally accustomed to the beats, however it’s hard for me to respect music from such a musically talented group with so many different backgrounds when they are using a MacBook to enhance their songs and quite frankly it sent a shock of disgust through me when I heard it.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:53 pm
I like the indv. song ratings and blurbs on the bottom don’t remember seeing those before.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:56 pm
I like Zac Brown, and have since I heard “Toes” for the first time (yes it’s another dumb beach song, but at the time i enjoyed it nonetheless). I have followed them from “The Foundation” all the way to now, with “Jekyll +Hyde”, and i have to say, I’m still just as much a fan of ZBB now as i was before the new album. “Beautiful Drug” doesn’t offend me, and i really enjoy “Mango Tree.”
And Trig, I love how you’re always gut-level honest in your reviews. It’s what keeps bringing me back to SCM, regardless of how my opinion differs from yours. Keep it up, man.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:13 pm
Thanks Warthog.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:46 pm
If “beautiful drug” doesn’t offend you, then you’re probably on the wrong site. That piece of shit almost had me wishing for some Sam Hunt…almost.
May 21, 2015 @ 5:24 pm
That’s the way I feel, as well. I like how they mixed genres. In fact, I expect them giving such a mixture.
Mango tree is sweet, soft and fun. Is it very different from Beautiful Drug or Remedy? Of course it is, but I don’t care. Maybe (or probably) because I love listening to jazz standards and Mango Tree reminds me of them.
There’s a lack of coherence, but I think the album whole point is showing how ZBB transits from one genre to another. The album is called Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. Why? Because it shows how different personalities ZBB can take.
They do it not on self-indugence, Trigger, but on purpose. It’s an album saying: we like playing all those songs, even though they are so different from one another.
April 29, 2015 @ 6:59 pm
I am a die hard Zac Brown Band fan. I liked more of the songs than you did, but I agree with most of your review. I was so excited for this album, as I am every time ZBB makes new music. Every time I listened to new ZBB music for the first time in the past, I couldn’t stop myself from just smiling because it was so good. When I listened to this album for the first time, I felt the unfamiliar feeling of disappointment (my jaw dropped in a bad way when the first song Beautiful Drug came on). I’m not too sure what the intention of this album is supposed to be, but I sure hope it is a one time thing. I love that they push their limits and try new things, but they went way too far here. Don’t ditch your roots.
It is just so disappointing because they are one of the most talented bands I have ever seen and this album is wasting their talent. Where is the fiddle?? The fiddle adds so much to a lot of their great songs, Jimmy de Martini is an amazing fiddle player, and his talent is hardly used in this album. I am praying that they don’t take much time to make another album and this time just go all the way back to a flat out southern rock and country album, sounding like the Foundation. That would be a perfect come back.
One thing I want to point out though is how ignorant a lot of the comments in the comment section about ZBB on this website are. I don’t even know what to say, it just blows my minds.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:17 pm
If you really wanted to zero in on one specific thing that could have made this album better, it might have been to simply add more fiddle, and watch everything else fall into place. You have a dedicated fiddle player in your band and he’s damn good.
I agree some of the commenters have been reactionary and overly judgmental through this release, and I probably didn’t help matters by singling out “Beautiful Drug” like I did. I sincerely tried to write this review to let folks know there is some good music here, and where to find it.
April 29, 2015 @ 10:51 pm
I’m guessing I’m part of that “ignorant” comments you mentioned.
There is ignorance towards Zac Brown Brand because fans are pissed off that they reached their sell out moment. Anytime a great artist that was true to their roots sell out, a large portion of their fanbase gets outraged. Ignorant comments or not as you say, it’s just the truth. I loved ZBB until this album, I have lost almost all respect I had for them. Will not be supporting these sell out hypocrite jackasses anymore. To stand up for the direction of country music and call out other musicians, then sell out to corporate and release shitty ass songs that is the exact thing you spoke out about just a year and half ago, shows me what kind of person Zac Brown really is, a lying hypocrite that only wants your money. He only spoke up to get attention because their songs were doing pretty bad on the radio at the time and he got angry and jealous that other artists were topping the charts with bro country songs.
April 29, 2015 @ 10:55 pm
No need to be so harsh. Maybe his own musical tastes have changed in the last one and a half years.
April 29, 2015 @ 11:01 pm
No. That doesn’t just happen. It’s all about money, my friend. They just signed to THREE record labels at once, yes, THREE. I have never heard of a such. Trust me when I say it’s not about Zac Brown’s musical tastes, it’s about cashing in. Either way, he’s a hypocrite. He spoke up and made a huge controversy over how shitty country music was, and closing in on two years after that he’s doing the exact thing he caused such an uproar over. Move over Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, there is some new major competition.
May 1, 2015 @ 12:00 pm
If they release Beautiful Drug as a country single then you can say all of this, but unless that happens then yes you are one of the many ignorant people I am talking about. Zac openly stated in multiple interviews that this album was going to have a huge variety of different genres. In one interview he even mentioned Beautiful Drug, saying that it might shock people and his biggest fans might not like it. Zac is not a “lying hypocrite” as you say. The difference between Beautiful Drug and people like Sam Hunt and Luke Bryan is that Beautiful Drug is not intended to be country music while Sam Hunt sells all of his crappy music as being country. I’m not saying Beautiful Drug is not one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard, believe me, it makes me sick, I’m just saying it wasn’t meant to be country. Now if they do end up releasing it as a country single then I will be devastated and you have every right to call him a lying hypocrite, but I highly doubt they will do that. This album is not a country album and it was not intended to be a country album, get that in your head. And stop acting like the whole album sounds like Beautiful Drug, did you even listen to it? Maybe you are strictly a fan of country music, but aside from 3 or 4 songs on the album, there is still some really good music. They can and have and hopefully will do much much much better than this album, but again, that doesn’t take away from the fact that there are still good songs on this album.
May 1, 2015 @ 1:41 pm
I cannot take your comment seriously. Everything you said runs in circles and makes little sense.
“This album is not a country album and it was not intended to be a country album, get that in your head”
Are you for real or is this a joke? This is very funny, at least to me. I obviously have that “in my head”, otherwise I would not be speaking out calling Zac Brown a hypocrite, which he is. Not intended to be a country album, yet Zac Brown is the big guy that “stood up” to bro country artists and the direction of country music, yet he’s not releasing an “intended” country album? Hypocrite. I know he said they are more of a southern rock band, which is understandable. He trashed other country artists then made a shitty album selling out to nashville, and on top of that having all the songs on that album cross so many genres when he’s supposed to be the big guy standing up for the poor direction of country music. The guy is a joke and I’d tell him that to his face if i ever got the chance to meet him.
I AM NOT a fan of strictly country music. I listen to many different genres. I don’t know if you lack the intelligence to get the point of what I’m trying to get across to you or what, seems that you are the only one that doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say. You don’t call out fellow country artists over what they are doing with their music and the direction of the genre, then turn right around and sell out to 3 huge corporate nashville record labels and start releasing shitty music that is WAY out of of bounds by even today’s country music standards, when it’s exactly what you just trashed other country artists for doing. Do I make this clear? I’ve tried to spell it out for you as much as possible.
Sam Hunt a crappy artist? No. Just absolutely no way in hell, just no. Yes, hes a shitty COUNTRY artist, but the guy has some serious talent and hes a very nice dude. If you think Sam Hunt is “crappy” and talentless, you have some serious issues. Even the guys on here that hate Sam Hunt’s music say hes a very talented young man, he just simply does not belong in this genre.
By the way, I’m NOT an ignorant person, and it’s extremely ignorant to judge someone as such by just reading one of their comments on the internet. YOU sir, are the ignorant one here. I very rarely speak out against anything, and the very seldom occurrence that I do, I have a damned good reason for it and am usually pretty upset about it. Have a nice day, sir!
April 29, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
“Junkyard” is one of their original songs, dating back to their mostly unavailable first album Home Grown, and it can be heard in a similar form to the original on the Pass The Jar live album. This version is just absolutely terrible when compared to the way it was written. They’d be wise to go back and listen to Home Grown again – simply arranged songs that let the lyrics, nuanced instrumentation, and stellar vocal harmonies stand out. All the songs can be found on YouTube and I’d say they’re all at least very good to great, especially “Nothing” and “On This Train.”
April 29, 2015 @ 7:08 pm
totally agree with you on Junkyard. They missed a huge opportunity with that one in this album. The original from Home Grown is great, it is a powerful song, but not the way they recorded it on this album.
April 30, 2015 @ 7:00 pm
I completely agree! I saw on a track list they were releasing “Junkyard” as a studio cut and was so excited for it. Their live version is so much better – more authentic. So disappointed in this cut.
May 1, 2015 @ 12:37 pm
You beat me to it. “Junkyard” was the first song I listened to when I downloaded the full album because it was one of my favorites on “Pass the Jar”. It seems like they tried to hard to play with it on this album.
When I really love an artist, I’ll pre-order their new albums until they force me not to. Sadly, that happened to Brad Paisley (listen to his first two albums again), and if the next album slumps, it could be happening to ZBB.
April 29, 2015 @ 7:25 pm
To be honest this album should not have gotten a review on this website. It’s not a country album and was not intended to be. They are a jam band. Matt Mangano, new bass player, was with John Mayer for a while. Clay Cook was with John Mayer in college. Zac was a jam band/rock guy in the ATL scene. I say all of that to make it known, these guys are not country guys.
However, I know they release songs to country radio so you have the right to review them. Here’s the thing trig. I like you, your website, and your writing. But here’s what I’ve figured out. You do not like Jay Joyce. He produces Eric Church, and produced this entire album. (Eric even got a cut with the song Wildfire.) Jay gets all over the place when he produces. Same with The Outsiders album. I like him and his work. (Played with Cage the Elephant) but I can see where someone could dislike the business he has going on in his work.
Zac used country radio to be his brand and now he has abandoned it, and for that I’m disappointed with him.
On the EDM songs, I believe Big Machine had a lot to do with that….at least I hope. The EDM is unfortunate. There is enough good material on the album for me to enjoy it. But make no mistake, they weren’t going for country. They are a jam band. Plain and simple.
Keep up the good work trig
April 29, 2015 @ 8:26 pm
Hey Brian,
You very well may be on to something there about Jay Joyce. It was my understanding that the production on this album was more of a team effort and Jay was part of that team, but I’m really not privy to what his exact role was here.
What I will say is similar to “The Outsiders,” I think this album works better when every song is pulled apart as opposed to being put together. That’s why both reviews I did the individual song grades. Maybe it is a philosophical thing where I favor much more a more flowing album experience, and Joyce is purposely trying to surprise you at each turn. In the end though, the artists name is on the front of the album, and the producer’s name is in tiny print on the back.
Thanks for reading.
May 2, 2015 @ 5:07 pm
Trigger, speaking of Jay Joyce, I’m wondering if you listened to Halestorm’s newest album. I know it’s not country at all and a little screamy if you don’t like rock, but it’s an album’s album through and through. And Joyce produced it, meaning he knows how to put an album together and he just isn’t doing that with Eric Church or Zac Brown for whatever reason.
April 30, 2015 @ 6:28 am
I’m not shocked that Eric Church co-wrote Wildfire. The lyrics remind me of his extra track on “Chief” of “Lovin’ Me Anyway.” Church also co-wrote “All Alright.” No wonder, I love both of those songs. I can tell readily his influences with the train track image on “All Alright” and the general “Wildman” theme on “Wildfire.”
April 29, 2015 @ 7:33 pm
Will there be a cliff notes version of this review? I don’t care enough about ZBB to read the whole review, but I like to know what’s going on?
April 29, 2015 @ 8:09 pm
I took me all of ten minutes to read this review, original assessment and individual song reviews included.. as well as a few reader comments. I expect the same for you, should you choose to do so. If you “like to know what’s going on”, it’s not a huge commitment.
If you are being sarcastic, disregard my previous sentences, but if you aren’t… I assure you that it will only take a very small handful of minutes to read.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:52 pm
Ok. 13 minutes. When reading one of Trig’s articles or reviews, there’s usually a lot of shit you have to look up! Like, Brown’s food line or the meaning of the word jetsam.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:57 pm
Well.. okay. 15 with a quick bathroom break. 17 if I am mixing up another rum and coke. And, quite frankly, at least 20 if at any point it involves a video because I might get halfway through it before deciding I saw something else shiny.
April 29, 2015 @ 7:59 pm
Extremely disappointed by this album.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:37 pm
While none of these songs come close to traditional country, I will say that Loving You Is Easy sounds like something that someone like Glen Campbell would’ve recorded. I really find it enjoyable to listen to compared to the rest of the album which I still find incredibly perplexing.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:41 pm
Grady Smith’s take on this is interesting, too “Listening to the album as a whole is a rather dizzying experience. It”™s as if you”™ve ordered a blueberry pancake at a restaurant, and when it arrives you see that it”™s smeared with pepper jelly. You think, “Well, that”™s not what I asked for and I don”™t know that I want it, but hey, I”™ll try it.” And then your waiter returns to the table and dramatically garnishes your plate with crushed-up ramen noodles and a dusting of parmesan cheese. And then a chef emerges form the kitchen and sticks a flaming Slim Jim into the middle of your pancake like a birthday candle. At a certain point you start to wonder, “What the hell is going on here?” Of course, it”™s all too much. Jekyll + Hyde might be better called Jekyll + Hyde + Gertrude + Omar + Susan + Theo and also Jason + Chris, oh, and we forgot, Betty + Jeremy too!”
April 29, 2015 @ 8:53 pm
“And how are you supposed to compliment the instrumentation of an album that crosses the Rubicon of introducing electronic drum beats and synthesizers into their music?”
I do not care for the song “Beautiful Drug”. Let me get that out of the way first. But crossing the Rubicon for using synthesizer in music? Let’s of great bands have used synthesizer. Maybe not great country bands, but other great or good bands have. Sons of Bill uses sythensizer on their last record as a matter of fact, and I think that record has great instrumentation. Not to mention ZZ Top used synthesizer on their record Elminator. And I’ve heard the frontman for Eleven Hundred Springs Matt Hillyer call that one of his favorite records. I’m not trying to pick apart your review, just pointing out that the use of synthesizer and drum machine isn’t exactly the Rubicon of music.
April 29, 2015 @ 9:15 pm
Fair point, though I would delineate synthesizers from drum machines. It’s not that drum machines are evil as much as they replace the human element. Zac Brown Band has a drummer. So why do you need a drum machine? I can understand why a DJ uses one, because he’s a one man operation. As others have pointed out, Zac Brown Band has a full time fiddle player, and what, three songs on a sixteen song album feature him (and that’s including cello and other stuff)? That’s what I’m talking about with the instrumentation. Jimmy De Martini plays on like three songs, yet there was 16 guest performers on the album. It’s hard to give credit to instrumentation under those conditions.
Synthesizers don’t necessarily eliminate the human element because you still have to manipulate them mechanically, but they are still taking the lazy way out. I mean does this band want to be known as crack musicians, or are they going to lean on electronics and take a platoon mentality to recording tracks?
And hey, I agree they’re all great musicians. I want to hear them, not a drum machine.
April 29, 2015 @ 10:44 pm
What types of synthesizers are used here? Are they the old-fashioned keyboard synths or some type of newer digital instrument?
April 29, 2015 @ 10:50 pm
Yes, and yes. “Young and Wild” is the most egregious infraction. There’s a lot of stuff going on here that can only be done in the studio or with a sampler or something. This isn’t basic synthesized keyboard playing, this is laser sounds shooting across the audio spectrum, and pulsating echoes refracting off the walls. Again, it’s not even that I’m opposed to these things as much as it’s hard to hang you hat on being an organic band of top notch instrumentalists when your engineer is doing a lot of the work.
May 1, 2015 @ 12:12 pm
totally agree with you here Trig, even crazier is that they actually have a drummer in Chris Fryar and then another percussionist in Daniel de Los Reyes. Wayyyyyy toooo much talent in this band to lean on electronics.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:56 pm
The title of this album is “Jekyll + Hyde.” Jekyll was a nice, respected man. But he had another personality, a vile, murdering monster. Maybe that’s the point? Jekyll is the better sounding music, Hyde is the complete trash music. They’re saying the authentic music is good and the stupid music is bad. Maybe it’s not ZBB selling out, maybe the point is to do music that is more their style mixed in with music that obviously isn’t to highlight that EDM country is bad. Has anybody considered that?
April 29, 2015 @ 9:07 pm
I keep seeing variations of this theory, and I wouldn’t be half surprised if at some point the band asserts something similar for spin control. But trust me, Zac Brown Band is not going to risk their entire future on such a flimsy proposition. They released these EDM songs because it’s good for busine$$.
April 30, 2015 @ 9:44 am
Nothing they do will “risk their future,” and they don’t need to release EDM songs for “Busine$$” reasons. They’re a juggernaut commercially, and have been selling out stadiums in the northeast despite not having released an album in years,
This album isn’t so much “selling out” as it is hubris. They’ve bought into their own hype and apparently think they can turn shit into gold, and that they’ll have a commercial hit even if they just throw a bunch of random songs together and call it an album.
April 29, 2015 @ 8:59 pm
Fitting title for the album, given that it’s all over the place. There are some nice moments hear and some of the weak songs aren’t terrible, but the few that are total garbage completely weigh this down to make it far and away ZBB’s most disappointing album.
April 29, 2015 @ 9:11 pm
Trig,
Its a solid review and that is from a Zac Brown Band Fan. I really gave them a lot of credit for offering a copy of the CD to concert ticket buyers and thought that was a great way to give back to your fan base.
Well I thought that way until I listened to the CD on Tuesday.
“Beautiful Drug” is a horrible first song. Not only is it a terrible song as you have pointed out but it sets the tone for the album and the album never recovers.
Addressing a few issues.
The album has an incredible lack of fiddle which is crazy as Jimmy De Martini is a very good fiddle player and there seems to create a large void in many of these songs.
John Discoll Hopkins seems to have taken a backseat and his deep vocals don’t appear to be as evident here as they have in the past.
I would recommend anyone who has the chance to take a listen to “Junkyard” from either the 2010 live “Pass the Jar” or their 2005 “Home Grown” releases to see how the song should be properly done, the Jekyll + Hyde version is like listening to a bad cover.
I do disagree with your views on “Mango Tree” but I see where you are coming from.
I’m a bit confused as to what comes next for them.
April 29, 2015 @ 9:26 pm
I found several issues on this album. 1) Clearly ZBB can’t call emself “country” anymore, i’m ok with it, i find myself enjoying some of their tunes once in a while, “Homegrown” isn’t bad after all. But let’s just say they have no label, they play what they love. Period. But then, 2) Is it a clear attempt to please mainstream radio and audience? I mean “Beautiful Drug” is awful in any way, even for those liking those kind of poppy song, the ballad are average, i read the Rolling Stone review (i think) and they had one good point, have they one good mainstream country radio single after “Homegrown”? I don’t think so, that’s where ZBB will lose points. I can bet you that their next album will be more “country” directed. They had fun on this one, but reading the reviews on metacritic, most of em are bad / really bad. But please stop labelling anything, ZBB is a good musical band (don’t we say stringband in bluegrass?! lol), and i guess they are ok about it. One year agao, Zac Brown said in an interview that he’d like to have more banjo, acoustic songs, adding that bands like Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons where some inspiration for em on their futur album (which would be Jekyll+Hyde), well, i can’t see anymore tunes similar… I’m disapointed about this albums, ZBB was alwas the guilty pleasure i had in my car driving to work in a good mood, now it’s the tunes my wife is rockin while driving to my step mother !
April 29, 2015 @ 9:55 pm
A couple of points for you, Trigger…
1. Aren’t most albums, at the end of the day, just collections of singles anyway? Current state of music in 2015 notwithstanding. I myself as a longtime country listener have learned to listen to lyrics first and instrumentation second; I can’t tell you how many albums I’ve heard and/or have in my collection that have songs (sometimes even back-to-back) that conflict in theme, message or even just something as simple as story. You have songs about wives here and songs about cheaters here with a little hell-raising in the middle and going to church on Sunday (to write the book broadly). Different life experiences aside, albums with songs like these always strike me as collections of singles (whether they’re meant for radio or not) that are intended to be taken on their own terms, not as a whole. (I was actually going to mention The Outsiders if you didn’t).
2. Exactamundo. Not to renege into my age-old need to bring up Big & Rich in every comment, but this point illustrates why I enjoy Horse of a Different Color so much.
3. As for “progressive” grunge, is there even such a thing? Grunge became stagnant very quickly, and pretty much anything that adheres to that template is slapped with the erroneous “post-grunge” label, even almost 20 years after it was first used. Off topic, but if you were feeling like listening to grunge as you mentioned in said comment, who would you choose?
4. (Appropriate given the track number). You know, I actually wasn’t at all impressed with “Homegrown.” At all. It’s pleasant, but inhabits that nadir that many of Zac’s songs do in which it comes across as mediocre but not offensively so. You might catch yourself singing along depending on the day and mood, but you’re not going to be scanning the dial for it, either. It really just struck me as “Chicken Fried, Part II.” I didn’t say it at the time, but that single gave me an apprehensive vibe about this album and you guys are just confirming my suspicions.
5. I myself really like “Heavy is the Head,” but you’re right that it sounds a little too much like Soundgarden, and not just because Chris Cornell is featured. I’m not sure why, but I actually feel as if Cornell is somewhat wasted here. He sounds restrained most of the time and never really lets loose with his trademark wail. Not that he has to in EVERY song, but if you’re going to feature a vocalist of his caliber why just have him sing a part that Zac could have easily covered by himself? If anything, it’s amusing to see all of the ignorant “Chris Cornell is going to make these guys famous!” comments on the YouTube posts of the song.
6. Another side note, but Mad Max: Fury Road is a sequel to the Mel Gibson trilogy of films, not a reboot. It’s even directed by George Miller, the helmer of the previous three movies.
April 29, 2015 @ 10:16 pm
Progressive grunge is probably not a thing, but I was trying my best to describe the mismatch of influences at play in the song. It shouldn’t be taken literally I guess is what I’m trying to say.
What would I listen to if I were in the mood for grunge? I guess I don’t have a good answer for that because that probably wouldn’t happen. We’re speaking in hypotheticals here. I don’t have a problem with grunge, it’s just not something I find myself in the mood of listening to. I stopped listening to music recreationally about two years ago truth be known. I crave silence more than anything these days.
Thanks for the clarification on the new Mad Max movie.
May 5, 2015 @ 2:06 pm
Pardon me, Trigger. I just did a little reading on Mad Max: Fury Road and apparently it IS a reboot. When it was first announced around 2010 all of the press releases said that it would be a sequel, so I naturally assumed that hadn’t changed, especially since the film has a subtitle like The Road Warrior and Beyond Thunderdome did. Due to low interest I really hadn’t paid much attention since then. I just read up a little on the status of the film and you were right. Sorry about that. Normally I’m in the loop on movies like this, but I suppose my lack of enthusiasm for the concept got the better of me (personally, I really only like the second film).
May 12, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
Just listened to the whole thing and I have to say… I honestly didn’t think it was that bad. Shoot me. It probably had to do with all of the articles (such as this one) that I was reading before I got around to listening that had me primed for an utter train wreck when in fact I’d only call some of it misguided. Despite your disclaimer as judging it only as music regardless of genre, I really feel like most of your distaste stems from the fact that this country-inclined southern rock band band jumped ship. Even worse, it seems to smack of purely commercial motives, not artistic. However, you still judged it as country music: lyrics come first, them musicianship and finally how country or not the arrangement is. Most of us do that around here, but the genres that ZBB is attempting to ape here aren’t the kind in which you can do that.
I haven’t heard a single EDM, dance club or grunge song that I felt had anything resembling clever or terribly insightful or thought-provoking lyrics. It really just comes down to whether you like the arrangement or not, and on a few of them I did myself. That doesn’t mean I’m happy with Zac Brown Band for turning tail, but I’m also not so offended as to let it cloud the whole experience for me. I even liked “Beautiful Drug” for what it was, but I also NEVER dabble in that type of music, so perhaps it was more from my ignorance of the style than the exact groove that the band struck that was speaking to me. Notice, however, that I’ve gone on record as saying that I felt “Homegrown” was mediocre at best, if not offensive and somewhat fun to listen to. That’s because it was trying to be a country song and I judged it accordingly. I’m not trying to subtly tell you that ZBB is “defying genre” as you said, but each song seems to have its own identity in a way that hints as such.
Of course, it’s important to note that I’ve never been the biggest fan of this band nor have I placed so much faith in them as to single them out as one of the last remaining “good guys” of the genre. I have all of their major label studio albums, and of the four I’d rank this one about in the middle. The Foundation was decent but not remarkable (and the singles were played to death), You Get What You Give was better but it still had its fair share of completely disposable moments, and I really didn’t care for Uncaged and its beach music affectations at all, give or take a few songs. Again, pretty much none of Jekyll + Hyde is country, but I don’t think it’s bad.
April 29, 2015 @ 10:20 pm
Zac Brown’s career path reminds me of Taylor Swift. The disappointment that many of the commenters here are feeling with “Jekyll and Hyde” is the same as how I felt about “Red”.
I predict that for his next album, Zac Brown will announce that he is making his “first official pop album”. Of course, if John Dickey is right, this will likely be irrelevant since by then country and pop will be one and the same…
April 29, 2015 @ 10:45 pm
A difference is unlike the country men, Taylor is great at pop. She can sing pop songs and sounds natural doing it. Most of the men can’t and sound terrible trying it. I never thought Zac Brown Band would try to copy Taylor, That’s My Kind Of Night, Lookin For That Girl, Burnin It Down, Drink To That All Night, and every Sam Hunt song.
April 29, 2015 @ 10:59 pm
There are many reasons an album can come off as sounding ” disjointed ”
-A change in musicians within the ranks over the course of the recording
-A change in locations of that recording.
-A long period of time over the course of recording the tracks for that album which affects focus .
-A change in what is trending which necessitates a course of action ( songs and production ) to stay ‘ current ‘.
-A change in labels and/or the powers that be .
-A change in musical influences or side projects which may inform the writing.
-A change in the producer or producers for each track.
– A tour schedule to support the record which demands large doses of BIG loud anthem-like tracks that can hold up in large venues
Lastly -a band after a few outings , has run out of creative , let alone coherent ,ideas .
I think ZBB ran out of ideas several albums back and , as I’ve suggested in earlier threads , they are stumbling lost through a creative darkness with NO one at the GPS taking instructions from anyone who MAY be able to provide them with a direction . Sometimes even artists need to ” escape from freedom ” when they realize that with freedom comes even more responsibility …particularly on a business level where you have customers to ‘service’ .They are throwing everything at the wall …everything that can , at least , be defined as a song regardless of whether it has substance or hangs together with the rest of the collection and regardless of whether or not they’ve understood or even care what a listener needs from them . Uneven records like this are NEVER going to be the high water mark for any artist .
April 29, 2015 @ 11:46 pm
To me, making music is a reflection of your individual identity. Exploring your identity is never a bad thing, but when you try to be many different things at once; your identity is lost. That’s the best way I could describe this album.
April 30, 2015 @ 12:44 am
The thing is, I like this album more than you do (I’d give this a strong 6/10 to weak 7/10)…………….but part of it may be because I hardly consider this an authentic Zac Brown Band album.
This sounds, to me, like the debut Zac Brown solo album.
And if we were to pretend this was actually the debut album from Zac Brown, then it sets out and achieves quite well, for the most part, what solo albums are designed to do: differentiate your sound from that of your already-distinguished and proven group.
But, seriously! The only two moments I hear Jimmy de Martini unmistakably surface is on the latter half of “Bittersweet”, “Dress Blues” and portions of “Junkyard”. That’s it. I can’t clearly discern where Daniel de les Reyes’ influences the percussion sections of this album. I fail to see where the band’s newest member, Matt Mangano, fits into the equation.
With at least 70% of the tracks, it sounds more like Zac Brown paired with varying session musicians. Which is how most modern pop, rhythmic and rap albums are produced: where most individual tracks reveal different producers (often more than one on the same track) and many different session musicians and co-writers.
And, for the record, I really like some of the end results. “Heavy Is The Head” hits home to me as a convincing stab at Active Rock. “Junkyard” has a great visceral force to it. And “Bittersweet” has some poignancy that got me. But as true as that is, they all sound too foreign from the dynamic of the group. I’m pretty sure, as much as it is true his bandmates are featured on the track listing credits here and there, the vast majority of the songs were composed by Zac Brown and Jay Joyce outside of the group, later presented to the group and they just slapped the few instruments they needed on it in the studio.
*
At any rate, this just doesn’t feel like an honest-to-goodness group effort and, regardless of whether views it as a debut solo album by Zac Brown or their fourth full-length mainstream release as a group, it’s a notable step down from “Uncaged”.
Yet, it’s a (mostly) enjoyable listening experience…………………..and considering the title is “JEKYLL + HYDE”, I’m wildly hopeful this means this album will be an anomaly from what we can expect from here on out and that its follow-up will be decidedly more consistent and cohesive with a direction in sound.
Now I can only hope Brown will apply all that ambition toying with genres and redirect it into his songwriting and lyrics. My main gripe with “JEKYLL + HYDE” is how fluffy and interchangeable the lyrics on most songs are.
April 30, 2015 @ 4:09 am
Trig (or anyone else who has a physical copy of the cd), is there a songwriting credit on “Junkyard” for Roger Waters, because that acoustic section is lifted directly from “The Wall” (I think it’s “Is There Anybody Out There? “).
April 30, 2015 @ 5:14 am
I found the liner notes on line, Waters is credited.
April 30, 2015 @ 5:03 am
At the end of RL Stevenson’s novel, Dr. Jeckyll can no longer get the meds he needs to be normal and comes to the realization that he’ll become Mr. Hyde permanently and have to pay for his crimes or perhaps commit suicide. Switching back and forth cannot continue indefinitely as it takes too much a toll on the psyche and body; and, in most of these stories of split personalities end very badly…just sayin’.
My parents always told me that a man (person) must be willing to stand behind anything and everything he puts his (their) name on. If a mistake is made, say so; otherwise integrity goes out the window. Yes, some of this album is ZB exercising creativity, but mostly its his integrity going out the window…just sayin’.
Outstanding review Triggerman.
April 30, 2015 @ 9:27 am
That’s an interesting take Jared. Another good example of how people miss the moral of many of the legendary stories of English literature.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:39 pm
Thanks Trigger…there’s a lot of folks that are saying stuff like ZBB is just being creative and they’ll come back to the being the roots band we all know and love. But if we take the album title literally (pun intended), the title character will be less Dr. Jeckyll next time around…and then even less…until they fully turn into the EDM monster.
April 30, 2015 @ 5:16 am
This guy also nails it; key quote is below…
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/apr/29/zac-brown-band-prove-country-free-for-all
“Jekyll + Hyde represents a bold new paradigm for country music: the utterly genreless album claiming to be country, since country is now a free-for-all with no established sound or rules. Albums like this are continually being sold to the public as “evolutions” and bold reimaginings of the format, but Jekyll + Hyde and the many albums like it to come embody a paradox, for as they embrace variety and attempts to thrive by mashing up disparate genres, they simultaneously erase all the sounds and features that make country music ”“ and all genres ”“ actually distinct.”
May 1, 2015 @ 12:30 pm
when did ZBB ever claim that this album is country?
April 30, 2015 @ 6:32 am
Eric Church has a superior version of “Young and Wild.”
Some of the songs on this album are literally Jekyll + Hyde in their tempo. It makes for a strange listing if you are swallowing the whole album at once.
April 30, 2015 @ 8:12 am
I have never liked ZBB so I can’t say that I am disposed to like the album under any circumstances. I have to agree with Trig that Beautiful Drug sucks, but I don’t think it is as terrible Gary Allen’s EDM offering, if for no other reason than the betrayal is much, much deeper with the latter. To me, the real turd here is Castaway. At least Beautiful Drug was a new direction, if not a terrible one. Castaway is just a retread of an already well-beaten dead horse. Did they think they were going to top Toes (one of the most over played songs ever on country radio)? The whole beach country thing is so over done (thanks Kenny!) is is all white noise at this point. It was kind of cool when the Great Divide put out Pour Me A Vacation in 1998, but at least that was still a country song. And what is with the faux accent on Castaway? I am surprised SJW’s haven’t come at him for appropriation (which I think is all BS but hey, just making a point here). Recording Beautiful Drug and Castaway on the same album tells me that ZBB has reached the end of the creative road and they are a spent force. If you want to break out of your style, EDM and beach songs aren’t exactly the way to do it. They should have tried something like Reckless Kelly’s Seven Nights In Eire or something like that. At least that would have been something to notice positively.
April 30, 2015 @ 8:36 am
Trig,
I’m surprised you like Homegrown. Musically, its bland, and lyrically, its ehhh, bland…. Sounds like a chick flick tune to me. If Reese Witherspoon ever gets around to making a Sweet Home Alabama II, this will be in the soundtrack…
April 30, 2015 @ 8:46 am
If I had to pick best and worst, it’d go like this:
BEST
1: Bittersweet- Yes, I’m calling this song better than the Dress Blues cover. It packs a punch at the end, and while the sudden switch to country-rock on the bridge is jarring, it brings out what makes Zac Brown so good as a frontman: his voice is powerful and emotive, which puts the track just above my 2nd best.
2: Dress Blues- It’s a great song, but the song is overproduced (unsurprisingly considering Jay Joyce is responsible for producing this album). Also, what’s up with the steel guitar that jumps in after the violin solo? Zac Broan sells the song well, but I prefer Jason Isbell’s stripped back version to this one.
3: Heavy Is The Head- If you haven’t noticed, I listen for good lyrics more than instrumentation, and this song nails it lyrically. After that, the song is just pretty solid. Nothing to complain about, but nothing that stands out to me.
4: Castaway- Not the popular opinion, but I like this song. A nice, relaxed feel, along with the fact that it’s catchy as hell, makes this a guilty pleasure.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: I’ll Be Your Man (Song For A Daughter), Tommorow Never Comes, Loving You Easy
WORST
1: Beautiful Drug- Do I even need to explain why I hate this song? Bad lyrics, stupid concept, and it just feels like a song Luke Bryan could’ve put on his Speing Break album. Seriously, this is one of the most generic songs I’ve ever heard.
April 30, 2015 @ 9:03 am
I still see history repeating itself as more country and country leaning artists compromise their sound in order to pander to timely trends. Flashback to the metal scene of the 80s. That was my formative years and I hated the cock rock / arena / glam / hair metal that was starting to take over the scene. My favorite band was Iron Maiden, and they had a solid run of straight up, galloping, true to the roots metal with the albums “Number of the Beast”, “Piece of Mind” and “Powerslave.” They even put in the jackets of their albums a quote, “No synthesizers or ulterior motives.” Then they released their “Somewhere in Time” album full of heavy guitar synths. I felt betrayed. Disillusioned. Instead of following their own style, they were choosing to embrace something that was used by all the bands I loathed. It was a turning point in their music and in my love for them. All to be relevant, to be part of what was happening and to pander to new fans.
I see history repeating itself here. All of these artists are hopping on the bandwagon of what is hot and new. They are all jumping off the bro-country train and hitching a ride on the EDM express. What’ll be next? Ultimately they sacrifice their identity.
I have great respect for artists that remain true to themselves during these phases. Zac Brown is not that artist. I’ve never bought an album of his, and while I considered doing so with this one because of “Heavy is the Head” I certainly won’t now.
The funny thing is, looking back at the history of metal, all those glam / hair bands pretty much fell along the wayside, while the bands that remained true to their identity, like Motorhead, are still going strong today and have rabidly faithful followings.
April 30, 2015 @ 10:04 am
” I see history repeating itself here. All of these artists are hopping on the bandwagon of what is hot and new. They are all jumping off the bro-country train and hitching a ride on the EDM express. What”™ll be next? Ultimately they sacrifice their identity.”
No matter what business you’re involved in ..but in particular , I think , the entertainment/arts business , you need to learn , understand and respect the rules before you can even hope to successfully break them . I think ZBB has tried to break ’em from day one without knowing WHAT rules they are actually messing with .
In a recent John Mayer interview , he made a VERY interesting and weighty point . Paraphrasing , he said that ever since much of the real ” power ” in making and getting albums out to the public has moved into the hands of the artists and label input has diminished , the product has suffered .
With the internet , ever-increasing home recording and ” fix- it- in -the- mix ‘ technology ,labels often wait until the artist has garnered a following and created the project on their own before they get on board with any promotion or distribution . Not always , of course , but with more regularity than previously . Unfortunately this results in a glut of inferior product marketed to unsophisticated listeners ( notice I didn’t say YOUNG ? ) who often don’t know a good song from a poorly -written/performed song but are exposed to those songs more often than they were ‘back when ” . I’m not suggesting that the labels always got it right …far from it …..but they did have the benefit of experience , track records , tried and true methods and some extremely talented musicians and producers at their disposal where the indie band has none of that . Its hit and miss and even a hit doesn’t guarantee they’ll have another with this approach .
April 30, 2015 @ 10:41 am
Trigger,
Overall this is a really strong review and I agree with almost all of what you said. This paragraph here caused me some trouble though:
“But none of this gives carte blanche to any artist or band to toy with the emotions and loyalties of their listeners, whatever the reason might be for them to wander out of their corner of the music world, or journey beyond the comfort zone of their average fan.”
I don’t understand how the artist doesn’t have carte blanche to do whatever they may choose. You may not like it, you may disagree with it, but to suggest that artists don’t have that right seems questionable to say the least. That seems like the type of suggestion that a major label would make ”“ telling artists what they can and cannot do. The beauty of music is that artists are sharing their work with the world, whatever that work may be. It’s not up to us as fans or critics to decide what is appropriate for an artist to produce. You can, and should, criticize what they make all you want (and your criticisms here, especially of “Beautiful Drug,” are spot on). At the end of the day, however, they deserve to have total control over their creative process. To suggest otherwise is to support the very policies that a site like this battles against on a daily basis.
All that being said, once again a great review and keep up the great work!
April 30, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
There’s a difference between “can” and “should”…you’re just arguing semantics now…an artist owes a certain amount to the folks that enabled his/her rise to the top…and if they don’t respect that fanbase he/she’s an asshole.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:24 pm
Hey Pat,
I agree that one paragraph isolated like that does look like I’m saying artists don’t have the right to assert their creative freedom beyond the concern of fans, but it was meant to be taken in the context of everything else being said, especially what I said right after, which was:
“When Zac Brown Band decided to start off their new album with the most unfortunate EDM dance club song “Beautiful Drug,” they immediately broke the covenant between artist and fan.”
What I mean by this is that basically Zac Brown has represented himself as something to the world and his listeners, and by not just releasing “Beautiful Drug” but putting it very first on the album, he’s betraying the listener’s trust. This goes beyond just stretching your creative wings. This is elevated to the point of deceiving people.
As an example of what I mean by that, take another comment left by “MMR” in this comments section:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/album-review-zac-brown-bands-jekyll-hyde/comment-page-1#comment-689678
“More than anything, I feel like I”™ve been deceived…I feel like I”™ve been intentionally hoodwinked, and that doesn”™t sit well with me.”
This is what I was trying to explain with that paragraph. Not only did I feel deceived, but a lot of Zac Brown fans did too.
Also, in the 8th paragraph of the review I said, “it”™s probably not the place for any fan or critic to get in the way of the artist”™s own enjoyment in the music they make.” … So yes, I agree that artists should make whatever music they want. The question here is, is this really the music Zac Brown wants to make? If so, that means he was deceiving us early in his career. And if it isn’t the music he really wants to make, then he’s deceiving us now.
Then you layer on top of all of that when he called out Luke Bryan and specifically what he said, and you really don’t know what to believe, which my be the most damning conclusion of all.
In the end, I think Zac Brown released “Beautiful Drug” and put if first because he wants to get paid. Believe it or not, I may be more alright with that then thinking this is actually the music he wants to make.
April 30, 2015 @ 12:34 pm
I’m a massive ZBB fan and I was really looking forward to this album. I don’t mind them stretching the genre, and I’ve loved the covers they’ve done at live shows (from Metallica to James Taylor). But this album is just a huge letdown. More than anything, I feel like I’ve been deceived. I took Homegrown and Heavy is the Head on SNL to be a preview of what to expect — some familiar stuff and some songs with a heavier rock edge. Cool, sounds good. I never heard them suggest anywhere that they were going to start making dance club music or big band tunes. Bands will make songs that we don’t like, and that’s OK. I have loved almost every song they have ever done — both originals and covers. But I could easily throw away 50% of this album and never miss it.
Most of all, I feel like I’ve been intentionally hoodwinked, and that doesn’t sit well with me. I at least expect honesty from ZBB (or from any band, for that matter), and I don’t feel like I got it here. This feels not like a natural artistic progression, but an attempt to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.
April 30, 2015 @ 1:02 pm
Why do so many people cry “sellout” just because they mixed it up some. I am very pleased with the album as a whole excluding maybe 1 or 2 tracks that really are good just not my preference. I am a HUGE ZBB fan(best concert Ive ever been to hands down )and your review didn’t change my mind either about the band or the album. I appreciated your honest opinion and you reviewed honestly without bashing which is hard to do sometimes. Over all I really am enjoying this album, and was not disappointed at all. Let em stretch their legs, they’ll come back to country just like some others have said I bet the next album is hardcore roots country and I’ll LOVE that one too
peace
April 30, 2015 @ 8:02 pm
The same reasons Zac Brown did when he was asked about That’s My Kind Of Night and Tim’s fans did when he released Lookin’ For That Girl. Integrity, love of country music, love of great music, etc. They didn’t just mix it up some, they made bad pop songs, which seems to be required by certain labels. Did ZBB lose creative control when they signed with a new label or is all of this really what ZBB wanted to record?
April 30, 2015 @ 4:02 pm
I sent this message to Zac via his website
Zac,
I just want to let you know you have ruined my week and broken my spirit with Jekyll + Hyde. You are my favorite musical act of all time, I have attended over 10 of your concerts, found common cause with Camp Southern Ground ( I have donated money) since my sister is disabled and had many a great summer at a similar Camp here in New Jersey and spent years telling all of my friends about how amazing your music was and dragging them to your shows with me.
Everyone knows you are talented and you have to know the quality of classics like Keep Me in Mind, Colder Weather and Highway 20 Ride is far, far above anything on your new record. I feel disrespected you released Homegrown as the first single and duped that you allowed me to think that was they type of album you would be releasing. Frankly you should be outright ashamed for releasing Beautiful Drug and Tomorrow never comes. You have Jimmy De Martini in your band and you decide to drown him out electronic EMO, Katy Perry style music? Why? I think I deserve an answer. I know you will probably disagree and take solace in the positive review a the New York Times gave you, even though the person who gave you said review has never been to one of your shows and looks down on your fan base as a lesser caliber of person.
In closing, if I want to listen to 90s grunge, I will turn my IPOD Dial to Pearl Jam, Nirvana or the Smashing Pumpkins. Not Heavy is the Head, you can’t do what they do as well as they do. You also can’t make pop as good as Katy Perry so stop trying, Beautiful Drug and Tomorrow never comes will never be accepted by the pop crowd and they will never accept you. The songs will never be accepted by pop radio, because they are of a lower caliber then what Taylor Swift and Katy Perry puts out and you are also not a hot 25 year old girl. You should have not destroyed and distorted Junkyard it was a great song and the live version on Pass the Jar was amazing. I could go on and on, but I won’t.
In closing, I feel like you have kicked me square in my nuts, ran my pockets and laughed at me for supporting you all these years. You are leaving me (and I would imagine others) behind to try to be accepted by the cool kids. They will never accept you and you have truly devastated me with this record.
I know you probably will never see this and Jekyll and Hyde shows you truly don’t care at all, but if you do decide to explain yourself, you have my word your feelings, whatever they may be will never be exposed publicly.
You say at every show We are the Zac Brown Band and “we know where it comes from” you clearly don’t and you have deserted all of us.
Sincerely,
Jason V***
May 1, 2015 @ 12:41 pm
that is fucking awesome
April 30, 2015 @ 4:47 pm
Got my physical copy of the CD this afternoon. This line from the thank yous liner notes is very telling…
“To Niko Moon for being the J+H MVP.”
Niko Moon is credited on several songs for “programming” (but not on “Beautiful Drug,” to be clear).
Also this – “ZAC BROWN WARDROBE – John Varvatos.” Sigh.
April 30, 2015 @ 4:58 pm
There’s one other point I feel I should include here.
As much as I consider “Uncaged” their strongest release to date; mostly because it is lyrically the strongest of their mainstream releases and also their most ambitious in flirting with tempo changes and time signatures to make for more dynamic group interplay, in my opinion………………..three of the four single releases didn’t succeed at reflecting their growth as a band.
Aside from “The Wind”, which broke them out of their mid-tempo rut and made for one enjoyable, rollicking hayride (which, unfortunately, also broke their streak of Top Ten hits)……………the other singles couldn’t help but feel like shadows of previous efforts. “Goodbye In Her Eyes” sounded like a reprise of “Highway 20 Ride” except with an electric guitar-driven bridge and outro. “Jump Right In” sounded like a reprise of earlier island-themed songs mixed with the pseudo-inspirational platitudes of “Let It Go” and “Quiet Your Mind”. And “Sweet Annie” sounded like a reprise of “Colder Weather” (seriously, listen to the way Brown enunciates the lyrics in the choruses of both songs), though still poignant.
And, notably, even though the aforementioned three singles were hits at radio………….their middling sales reflected some fatigue from listeners. It all sounded a bit too familiar to many listeners.
*
Thus, I can completely understand why Zac Brown felt the ravenous need to move the band in a whole new direction so to not get pigeonholed as his generation’s answer to James Taylor or Van Morrison all over again, and continue to see diminishing returns.
And I thought they had just the right idea with “The Grohl Sessions, Volume 1”. It sounded like a new direction for them while not looking forced, and Grohl acknowledged and embraced what made the band particularly gifted and appealing. “Day of the Dead” sounded like an authentic segueway into rock music, while their cover of “The Muse” hinted at where they can develop their craft as a distinctively Southern jam band. “Let It Rain” also provided hints as to what they could achieve by upping the ante with percussion.
*
I just think, with “JEKYLL + HYDE”, Zac Brown swung too far out on his own and the end result is an album that’s breaking genre just for the sake of breaking genre, and also sounds more like a solo effort as opposed to a group effort.
I’m definitely expecting the eventual follow-up “JEKYLL + HYDE” won’t be nearly as “out there” from a production and demographic-reaching standpoint………..and I’m also hoping they don’t forget the lessons from the “Uncaged” era as far as the majority of its singles were concerned.
May 1, 2015 @ 5:59 pm
I think the variety of styles on this record was very much intentional from a marketing stand point. I previewed the songs on iTunes and bought 3 songs at 1.29 each verses the whole album at 12.99. I think that is exactly what the record label wanted. If you think about it there is a large established demographic of hard core zac brown fans that are going to buy the whole album no matter what even if they know some of the songs suck it doesn’t matter. Then you have people like me who enjoy Zac Brown but there is no way in hell I’m going to buy most of this record after previewing it, but it doesn’t matter I still dropped 3.87 on iTunes buying a few songs. Then you get people who wouldn’t listen to zac brown typically but will buy the EDM songs because they heard it on a non country music station, thus putting those two zac brown songs on the iTunes radar for song recommendations to people who bought music from other EDM artists. Same with the mango tree song, iTunes says hey you bought a Michael bublee song you might like mango tree by zac brown too. I think this whole album is one huge ass money grab, let’s see how many music listeners from every color of the rainbow can we get to buy one or two tracks off this record. Point being I don’t think this album was intended to be purchased or listened to as a whole, I don’t think the order of the songs matter because the label is counting on most people not buying the whole thing anyways. Just a theory…
May 1, 2015 @ 9:27 pm
This theory doesn’t surprise me, actually, for the following reasons.
Firstly, as far back as the “You Get What You Give” era, Brown has admitted in interviews that he is as much establishing a brand as he is music. We know how great he can be as a performer, but he is every bit as much a businessman.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/zac-brown-band-new-album-2015-20141104
Secondly, as far back as November of last year, before “Homegrown” was even released as the lead single to this album, Zac Brown stated in a Rolling Stone interview, just as him and the band were about to enter the studio to arrange and record “JEKYLL + HYDE”, that they had a song titled “Beautiful Drug”, and…
*
“Believe it or not, it’s about a girl. But she’s the guy’s beautiful drug. I think that’ll be a big crossover tune for us.”
*
This leads me to believe “Beautiful Drug” was among the very FIRST songs Brown wrote for the sessions. And the fact he went so far as to admit he believes it will be a “big crossover tune” is why I’m absolutely sure we can expect to see it released to Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 radio sooner rather than later. It’s not a matter of if, sadly. It’s a matter of when, now.
I also expect a radio edit of “Junkyard” will be serviced as the follow-up to “Heavy Is The Head” on Active Rock radio, while “Tomorrow Never Comes” may possibly be serviced to Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 depending on how “Beautiful Drug” fares.
May 2, 2015 @ 9:54 am
I was one of those Zac Brown fans that would anything they put out, now I will never spend another dime on anything they do. This is outright betrayal. No more concerts, shrits, not one damn song will ever be purchased again by this former fan. Jekyll and Hyde is so reprehensible I can’t even fully enjoy the old songs I loved so much.
May 2, 2015 @ 1:38 am
I became a big Jason Isbell fan because of this site and I love zbb even though the bad songs on this album really made me feel like I had been betrayed. That being said I love the dress blues cover. Always been one of my favorite of Jason’s songs. I guess my point is thanks for pointing out the positives in a sub par album. We all know Zac and his bandmates are capable of more but some people bend to the power of the almighty dollar
May 2, 2015 @ 8:55 am
This album is a disappointment. It really isn’t that bad. It’s just not what we have come to expect from Zac Brown Band. This album is sort of like what you said about ”Mango Tree”.
”Not as much of a bad song as a bad decision to include it on a project like this. In another context, it could be refreshing and unexpected. Here however, it seems misplaced and self-indulgent.”
Pretty much sums up the whole album. You don’t want to hear generic pop or a gospel choir or big band or grunge. or at least not ALL OF IT. Also across the board the album is poppy.
What they do they do well. They just decided to do what everyone else in the mainstream does instead of do what separates them.
Still well above the average mainstream country record.
Really not a country record at all (which is ok).
May 2, 2015 @ 7:08 pm
I am very disappointed about this cd too. Are they a sell out no, but this is not a country album.
May 2, 2015 @ 10:39 pm
Unlike Eric Church “Outsiders” this cd is more disappointment than Eric’s cd which also a hit or miss for me. I like Eric’s cd better than this one because I was more prepared for it. Zac was all over the place with this one with Big Machine on his side now. I do agree with you here Trigger.
May 3, 2015 @ 2:28 pm
I ended up combining select songs from the album with the songs from the EP into a playlist called “The Jekyll + Grohl Sessions,” works pretty well.
1. Homegrown
2. Let It Rain
3. Wildfire
4. The Muse
5. Heavy is the Head
6. Day For the Dead
7. Junkyard
8. All Alright
9. I’ll Be Your Man
10. Dress Blues
11. Bittersweet
Junkyard is probably the odd man out for most, but it’s so batshit crazy, I like it.
Gonna road test it, may tinker with the running order a bit still.
May 3, 2015 @ 3:58 pm
I like that idea
May 3, 2015 @ 5:52 pm
Thanks. Tempted to post the track list on his FB page as “the album you should have released. ”
I was still thinking of going to see them when they play FLA in November, but the setlist from the opening night of the tour is out – 14 of the 15 songs (including “Drug”) were played. If that doesn’t change, I’ll pass.
May 4, 2015 @ 4:41 am
Thanks for this spot-on review Trig. ZBB has been one of my favorites for some time, as I like their musical arrangements (especially Jimmy De Martini’s fiddle skills and their vocal harmonies) as well as their thoughtful lyrics. Even if they do include some “pseudo-inspirational platitudes” from time to time as someone commented above, they still offer much more content than just about everything else on country radio.
I tried out new headphones today and played some older ZBB songs to test them, finishing off with their amazing rendition of “The Devil went down to Georgia”. Thrilled about their musical skills I was just about to buy the new album when I thought better and headed to my favorite country music blog first.
I’m sure glad I did, because your review totally nailed it and kept me from a very bad buy. Your song-by-song analysis was very helpful too, as it showed me the very few songs that fit my taste. I ended up buying Bittersweet, Dress Blues, Remedy and the acoustic version of Tomorrow Never Comes, with the small hope that if enough people follow this example, they (or the label) might realize which songs sell best and return to more traditional waters. Like another commenter said, it feels like an “attempt to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks”. I do hope the country-themed songs stick.
Thanks for your thorough review and for the good work on your blog. Keep it up!
Best regards from Switzerland, Europe
May 4, 2015 @ 9:56 am
I grew up on Top 40 Pop, Hip Hop and consider myself an R&B refugee. I started warming up to Country a few years ago, because I’ve always appreciated the lyrics and themes. As a fledgling songwriter, I constantly found myself going back to R&B of the past and Country to learn harmonies, story telling and chord progressions that work. Post 2000 R&B was pretty much corrupted by Raps influence, particularly in the lyrics, but also in the music. Chord progressions turned into single note keyboard stabs, song structure turned into 8 bar loops, and b-sections, chord changes leading into or coming out of choruses and the Bridge are all but gone. Sure you’ve got Countrys favorite R&B guy Brian Mcknight and others who still WRITE, but its backround noise to the Chris Browns and other contemporary artists. Another problem is poorly executed pitch correction which put the nail in the coffin. For the most part the engineers in Nashvile use the tool well, there are lots of offenders, Luke Bryan’s Roller Coster comes to mind. But poorly executed and excessive pitch correction, not the T-Pain effect, but pitch correction of every single note of a song, destroyed the soul of R&B. It made the singers lazy and they all sound like synthesizers instead of humam beings. Also trends…. literally, from 1997 through 2003 EVERY SINGLE PRODUCER sounded like Timbaland. The same thing happend from 1987 through 1993 when everyone sounded like Teddy Riley, Babyface or Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Hip hop went through a similar, slow death. The golden years were 1991 through 2003, after which Hip Hop began taking on to many outside influences (sampling aside) and now we are left with Drake.
I got on to Zac after hearing Sweet Annie. Still have alot to explore. But I hope that he understands that while we appreciate the muscianship and versatility, he is playing with fire. All it takes is another non-country sounding “country” hit and all of the acts over the next few years will follow.
If you wanna do a Chris Gains album do a Chris Gains album, but really, dont do a Chris Gains album.
May 4, 2015 @ 10:15 am
I really enjoy this cd with the exception of the 2 sorta rock songs. This cd reminds me of the Mavericks last 2 cd’s and how they went from a country western sound to more of a pop sound. Under the Mango Tree made me think of Raul Malo. It could of been one of the songs on the Mavericks last CD or on one of his own.
May 5, 2015 @ 8:37 pm
I’m a fan of all genres so I love the allbum! That being said, I believe several errors were made. The choice of lead track being the biggest of them all. Terrible choice even though I like the song and fully admit it’s a sellout moment like nothing I’ve seen before.
Personally, I think he should have turned it into a double disc. The first disc called Jekyl featuring all of the traditional sounding songs and the second called Hyde featuring the songs that venture into Pop and Hard Rock. As much as I enjoy those songs, they really do affect the pacing of the album. Plus, Country purists could forget the second disc exists and those of us who are fans of Pop, Rock and Country could enjoy everything.
May 20, 2015 @ 11:49 am
Trigger,
Excellent review. Unfortunately I have a couple of points I disagree with you a bit on. I do think there are more musically good songs on the album than you give credit for, I just believe they pushed the Jeckyll and Hyde literary angle too much, Notice how each one of the tracks is noticeably different from the last one. As a collection of songs from brilliant artists I believe this is one of the better discs they have put out. As an actual album with flow and an overarching theme, I don’t believe this was ever intended to be that.
May 30, 2015 @ 1:16 pm
Your on crack if you think this is a bad album. All of your stupid comments are wrong and you deserve 10,000,000 guns down.
May 30, 2015 @ 1:39 pm
you are probably the type of person that thinks Beautiful Drug is a good song. I am a die hard ZBB fan, they are my favorites of all time, and while there is some good music on this album, it is by far their worst. I don’t mind them experimenting with all the different genres on this album because it is what they want to do, but if the next album isn’t any better and shows that they have completely ditched their roots, then they will lose their original fans who loved them for great music, and mindless mainstream country fans that love songs like Beautiful Drug and love people like Luke Bryan will replace the old fans.
November 10, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
As a county music lover I really love this album, it has a great mix of country and a kick back to a 90’s rock feel which is awesome!! For all the downers of this album, look at the title, did you expect anything different from these guys? Unless if you only limit yourself to one genre of music of a specific decade, I say bring on some more!!!
September 23, 2016 @ 11:56 am
hey trigger even though it’s not country is there any chance of getting your comments on sir rosevelt (zac brown’s new side project)
September 23, 2016 @ 12:52 pm
It’s on my radar. Might have something about it soon.
July 31, 2020 @ 6:18 pm
I’m pretty late, but what a garbage article. I keep stumbling over reviews of this album that sound like this, usually by people in country music’s periphery.
The first track on the album, yes, was legitimately bad. But what about Castaway? That song is gold and will be in my playlists forever.
Junkyard was literally one of the most creative, best written and musicaly executed commercial tracks of that year. I’ve cried listening to that song, more than once. (That doesn’t necessarily mean I’m not crazy)
And who the fuck says music isn’t about playing better? It’s not that way for everybody, but there is a whole class of music with millions of fans devoted specifically to Olympian musical feats.
If you’re not interested in that sort of thing sir, that is okay. But don’t try to guide the opinions of others if you’ll only tolerate your own.
Take this fucking article down, it’s a waste of disk space.