7/10
About a year and a half since his last album, The Great American Bar Scene, Zach Bryan returns to the music world, this time a married man with breakup scandals in hand. His sixth body of work, With Heaven On Top, is as lengthy as it is dynamic. Let’s break it down.
Upon a thorough first listen, an eerie feeling creeps in. The tracks feel undeniably reminiscent of Bryan’s previous hits like “Pink Skies” and “Bass Boat.” Featuring notes of harmonica, horns, and a steel guitar, this album definitely feels familiar. Though this could be a stylistic echo, it just feels repetitive. He goes back and forth between ideas of the American dream and faith, but touches on subtle loss and addiction. It’s a compelling mesh of country and rock, reflecting his musical evolution across albums, and fueled by intense emotion and his signature poetic sensibility.
With Heaven On Top features 25 tracks, ranging from Bryan’s intimate poetry to passionate, full-bodied beats. In the first days since release, the album has attracted attention from fans and, frankly, anyone who is versed in his public life and relationships. The title track, “With Heaven on Top,” references his arrest in 2023 for an obstruction of an investigation. “Spend a night in jail after pissin’ off a cop / Go through hell with Heaven on top,” Bryan sings.
This album contains some brilliant songs—“Appetite” and “Skin” being the two best. The musical accompaniment is beautiful, with angelic background vocals and classic country charm making these two tracks the strongest of the bunch. Lyrically, they break down into some of the most emotional moments of the album. The first follows Bryan’s hopes of not raising his children with his own insatiable appetites for fame and alcohol use. The second is an expertly executed breakdown of his high-profile breakup with Brianna LaPaglia. “I’m taking a blade to my own skin / And I ain’t never touching yours again,” Bryan sings in “Skin.” Together, the two songs naturally capture the essence of a Zach Bryan song: raw vulnerability, self-reflection, and unfiltered emotional honesty. This is why he’s a big deal.
Bryan is undeniably an amazing lyricist, and With Heaven on Top is an expertly crafted catalog that covers hard-hitting topics—an unusual development for him. While he normally writes about love and hardship, this piece explores a different focus. With his song “Bad News,” Bryan is one of the few artists to raise awareness toward ICE enforcement and acknowledge broader political tensions in the country. “And ICE is gonna come, bust down your door / Try to build a house no one builds no more,” he sings. He continues the song by alluding to Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” “This land’s your land / This land mine too / Is this all true, man? / Or is it just bad news,” Bryan sings.
This album nails consistency, and is also a truly intimate piece of work. Not just in its lyrics, but many of the first few seconds of tracks contain each of his finger movements on the fretboard. The topics of the songs are also incredibly personal. “Cannonball” follows a story about the loss of a high spirited (and high rolling) loved one who deeply affected Bryan’s life. It touches listeners with lines “And they’re using my muses to make fun of me / And your face up as your blood sucks from an IV.” Here, Bryan’s true talent is revealed. His lower register and chilling vocals are highlighted.
Bryan is his greatest when the songs are coherent lyrically. So when they are, his work is purely awesome. But, some tracks felt unnecessary and honestly hard to follow. “I’ll sing the wrong damn song in the wrong damn key / But no matter where I go, I pray to always find home,” Bryan sings in “Runny Eggs.” The writing is slightly messy and the tracklist runs long. Additionally, for every impressive track like “Santa Fe,” it is followed by a less sufficient runner-up like “Say Why.” Maybe it’s just the unneeded F-bombs, and the humdrum word choices. “Say why, say why / Say why, say why,” he sings.
With Heaven on Top is perfect to harmonize with while adventuring through a road trip or sitting by a cozy fireplace in the winter. It’s sonically calming, though the lyrics often tread familiar ground (mundane and jumbled reflections on love and life). But every once in a while, Bryan ups the excitement, jabbing at exes and hinting at political commentary.
Bryan releases a lot of music, but within With Heaven on Top are countless anthems and hidden gems, including both some of the superstar’s most personal and political tracks. However, the album’s sheer length and repetitive sounds leave little desire to click replay and do the whole thing all over again.
