Last year’s pandemic may have interrupted their touring schedule, but it gave them time to focus on “The Comeback.” This album examines their meteoric rise from playing clubs to amphitheatres and stadiums.
ZBB have come a long way since first making waves with their country karaoke hit “Chicken Fried,” weaving influences from other genres into their music in subtle yet direct ways.
The Comeback
Brown has created an entertainment empire that spans music, food and design; in addition to that he is also an influential voice as a philanthropist running numerous benefits for veterans and children with Autism. Additionally, he founded Camp Southern Ground which gives children an opportunity to pursue their dream of becoming professional musicians.
After reaching fame with their country karaoke anthem “Chicken Fried,” Zac Brown Band quickly found themselves garnering massive audiences with country songs that transcended genre barriers, like 2015’s rock-influenced Jekyll & Hyde and dance project Sir Roosevelt. Their comfort with various styles other than country is evident.
Now, with their latest album The Comeback, Brown is shifting his sound by joining forces with producers and artists who don’t typically work in country music. From Diplo and Alesso to Khalid and Portugal. The Man, Brown has taken an unprecedented leap into electronic dance music on this project – marking his most genre-crossing record yet!
The Foundation
Amazing what a simple song about enjoying “cold beer on a Friday night” can do for a band‘s success in country music. Zac Brown and his crew showed that it is possible to become superstars within this genre while maintaining their individual sounds.
On this album, they seamlessly combined adept renditions of standard country themes (lead single “Chicken Fried” strikes all the appropriate notes from rural life to patriotism) with emotive renditions of Ray LaMontagne’s cocaine-fueled “Jolene.” As such, their unique sound appealed to a wider audience than most Nashville acts could.
The Foundation was one of the most revolutionary albums ever released in country music history. It redefined what it meant to be a country band while adding new sounds and styles into genre. Furthermore, this record showcased their talent while encouraging other country artists to follow suit and raising awareness for ALS – a neurological disease which affected one member of their band.
The Owl
Zac Brown Band are well known for creating feel-good country tracks like “Chicken Fried.” However, this album features R&B, EDM and rap elements that push their comfort zone further away than before; nonetheless it still brings many positive aspects.
The album‘s main problem lies with production decisions that dilute what might otherwise be good songs, for instance “Already on Fire”, until some weird Zoorg-sounding monster appears like an obstacle course boss in an old 16-bit Nintendo game.
There are a few gems amongst all this rough. “Shoofly Pie,” for instance, recalls ZBB’s more low key and playful songs from earlier albums; listening to it makes for an enjoyable listen even though it doesn’t quite fit thematically with the rest of this album. Additionally, Billboard reported that Brown wrote several deeply personal tracks inspired by his recent divorce.
Homegrown
The band has taken to heart the concept that music can serve as an inclusive medium that unites communities through sound. Their approach has led them to collaborate with musicians from diverse genres while being dedicated to philanthropy. Their commitment to uniting through music also resulted in them founding Camp Southern Ground, an incredible facility which offers inclusive residential camps for children as well as veterans support programs.
After the success of their Grammy-award-winning debut, The Foundation, their second album was released with Atlanta native Clay Cook performing as multi-instrumentalist and high tenor vocalist.
Jay Joyce had produced previous country albums by Little Big Town and Eric Church. As a result, this album featured an improved sound that highlighted their strengths while also showcasing their pristine harmonies, making way for their next release Homegrown.