Zach Bryan’s new album The Great American Bar Scene has become the hit soundtrack of this past summer, with Bryan continuing with yet another album filled with passionate lyricism and his iconic stripped down instrumentals.

Humble Beginnings to Stardom

Bryan, who was previously enlisted in the Navy, arose from his humble YouTube beginnings in 2019. He combines simple acoustic sounds and strips back his songs to give them a more cozy, rustic, and laid-back feel. He also mixes aspects of vivid storytelling with heartfelt honesty, which many fans resonate with. His music is classified into the country genre, but he incorporates many other styles into his own work, including folk, americana, and even a hint of bluegrass.

The Great American Bar Scene is an album that reflects on the deep connection between people, specifically the connections shared when you’re around the ones you love most. The album also has another significance, relating the bar scene itself to the metaphor of life. Like the bar scene, life has its ups and downs, along with victories, losses, love and heartbreak.

Special Touches 

Bryan also introduced some new components to his album, including the use of personal poems. These personal poems, which came about in his self-titled album, draw from his own personal experiences and emotions, creating a space for reflection. These poems further enrich these albums by adding another layer of perspective beyond the music itself.

One of his poems, called Lucky Enough, expresses being grateful for the simple things in our lives – such as friendship, love, and human connection. The poem elaborates that if you’re “lucky enough” to experience these moments throughout your life, then you’ve already found true wealth.

Another aspect that was included in this album was his collaborations with many other musicians. Bryan brought in over five different artists –  including Noeline Hoffman, John Moreland, John Mayer, Watchhouse, and, the most well known artist, Bruce Springsteen. Bryan loves to collaborate with others, allowing him to experiment with different styles and sounds of music. He also looks up to artists such as Springsteen for inspiring his work in his music career.

Behind the Lyrics

This album brought on some new hits and favorites in the Zach Bryan community.  Some hits include 28, Pink Skies, and American Nights to name a few. According to Spotify, 28 and Pink Skies are the most popular songs from the album, reaching the list of top 5 streamed songs on his page.

28 has a very significant meaning and storyline behind it. Bryan found inspiration to write the song based off of a real life event regarding his yellow lab puppy named Boston. When Boston went in for an emergency surgery after a health scare, Bryan turned to his girlfriend, Brianna, saying, “How lucky are we?” Regarding how truly lucky they were to own such a beautiful dog. Thankfully, Boston ended up recovering from surgery and went home completely fine.

Track 18, Pink Skies, holds very varied meanings. Bryan digs deeper and grows personal, talking about what is believed to be his mother’s death. Bryan’s Mother, Deann, passed away in 2016 and they were extremely close. Zach wrote many other songs about her, such as Sweet Deann and She’s Alright.  The song also features the theme of sharing memories, and instead of mourning the past, looking ahead into the future.

The Great American Bar Scene captures the perfect ambience, no matter the mood or the moment.  These 19 beautifully written songs echo the raw and genuine spirit of life, creating a soundtrack that fits into any scenario – whether you’re celebrating with family, or just passing the time. These songs go beyond just the music: it’s a deep reflection of real life experiences, authenticity, and the reality of what life can really be.