The past few years have seen a resurgence in mainstream country music like you wouldn’t believe, though not all of it has been as soulful and stripped-back as the classics: the radiowaves are dominated by a fusion of acoustic guitars and trap beats that, for many listeners, won’t quite hit the spot. Zach Bryan’s rampant success since his 2023 self-titled record feels like a counteractive cultural force, working overtime to get emotional themes and tried-and-true musical motifs back into the spotlight. New record ‘With Heaven On Top’ indulges further in all the goodness country music can offer— if anything, it might be overindulging.

Though the record may open with the rapid-fire poetry of ‘Down, Down, Stream,’ it’s actually on the following cut that Bryan introduces the core tenants that will go on to soundtrack this lengthy double album. ‘With Heaven On Top’ is a country album through-and-through, bouncing between solemn ballads and grand carnival-style sing-alongs: given that the record runs for an impressive twenty-five tracks, it’s comforting to see the singer-songwriter attempting to pull from all corners of his genre. The album incorporates a host of instrumental inclusions that work to underscore the honest vocal deliveries and plucky acoustic guitars at the LP’s core— from the obvious usage of a harmonica and slide guitar on ‘Runny Eggs’ to the introduction of wistful strings and hushed backing vocals on ‘Cannonball,’ ‘With Heaven On Top’ is able to vary its palate to suit the shifting mood of each track. Having said that, it’s remarkable to see near-every element remaining firmly in the background: the production is stripped-back to the extreme (so much so that a number of softer moments have an audible room fuzz behind them), placing the focus firmly on the emotions and stories of Bryan himself.

For many, the greatest appeal of country music is the genre’s sense of narrative— it’s an aspect that runs like a river through ‘With Heaven On Top,’ turning the album’s quietest and most introspective moments into some of its most memorable (and, in places, gut-wrenching). ‘Skin’ may be the darkest cut on the record, seeing an audibly shaken Bryan reeling from heartbreak. The song manages to feel completely wide-open, even despite the collection of muted drum hits, sparse piano accompaniments and delicate guitar leads that make up its arrangement: the focus is purely on the lyrics, which share a quiet desperation thick enough to choke you.

“I'm taking a blade to my old tattoos

I'm draining the blood between me and you

I'm taking a blade to my own skin

And I ain't never touching yours again”

‘Bad News’ isn’t quite as minimalist as that, but the emotion pouring out from the album persists as its strongest attribute. Aside from the odd vocal flub on tracks like ‘Anyways’ and ‘Rivers and Creeks,’ Bryan proves himself to be a remarkable storyteller here, often laughing or sneering at his own remarks. Whether he’s crooning over a woman on ‘Say Why’ or lamenting the downfall of his country as he sees it, the man is nothing if not honest, and intensely relatable to boot.

“Didn't wake up dead or in jail

Some out-of-town boys been giving us hell

I got some bad news

The fading of the red, white and blue”

The singer-songwriter doesn’t stand alone on his newest album though, or at least isn’t always trying to: community is a major theme across the record, reflected in a host of upbeat sing-alongs that manage to cram in a similar level of depth and heart as the more brooding cuts surrounding them. Songs like ‘Santa Fe’ and ‘Slicked Back’ are almost painfully on-the-nose as far as country music is concerned, but they come as a welcome reprieve as part of what can otherwise be a very heavy listen— if the songs are overly safe, they’re continually saved by the sweet melodic lines and strong lyrical motifs that makes a line like “when I get to hell or heaven, can I bring my girl?” so potent. A lot of ‘With Heaven On Top’ is simply very easy to listen to, whether that be the dusty guitar tones on ‘Dry Deserts’ or the warm sound envelope that surrounds ‘South and Pine’ and ‘Appetite.’ Bryan isn’t reinventing the wheel here, and he’s obviously well aware of that fact— there’s a certain comfiness that comes from music this likeable, and it’s an appeal the album keeps well in hand.

If there’s any evidence that Bryan doesn’t have his own shortcomings in mind, it’s the vast length that comes to define ‘With Heaven On Top’ by the time its closing title track finishes (a whopping 78 minutes after ‘Down, Down, Stream’ kicked things off, mind you). Even having praised the album’s ability to hop between various styles of country music with ease, there simply isn’t enough meat on the record’s bones to justify so, so many songs— in its final stretch, those smooth acoustic guitars and simple melodies will be going in one ear and out the other, doing a disservice to Bryan’s lyrical portraits. You could make a hell of an argument to cut the record in half, ending things out on the catchy tune that is ‘Slicked Back:’ even if the following songs are far from unlistenable, shortening the overall listening experience would’ve gone a long way to make things more digestible, more accessible, and ultimately far more memorable. You can absolutely have too much of a good thing, and ‘With Heaven On Top’ is bursting at the seams with ‘nice’ country song after ‘nice’ country song. The resulting record is daunting, even despite its inviting presentation.

Zach Bryan’s latest work is difficult to recommend, simply because it leaves a sour taste in your mouth by the time you’re done— this is not an album to listen through front-to-back, unless you happen to be completely enamoured with all things country. Narrowing your focus to specific tracks, the real beauty of ‘With Heaven On Top’ is finally able to present itself. This is a warm and well-considered release that balances light and sorrow is equal measure, and just so happens to be some of the best country music in the charts right now: it’s like a delicious buffet that’s just a little too large to digest in one sitting.