It’s been two years since Zach Bryan released his ode to the neon light, pool table, beer soaked heaven, his tribute to The Great American Bar Scene. As we reach the Fourth of July, it’s a good time to take a minute to think about exactly what it is that makes Bryan the symbol of Americana he’s come to be.

In comparison to the other chapters of his catalogue, The Great American Bar Scene might sit closest to a thematic album. Despite its name, the record is not a “bar” album per se, many of its poetic tracks likely haven’t graced the walls of small-town dives; instead, it’s those lingering conversations and thoughts that are exchanged in bars that define its character.

The American bar is a place for contemplation, whether it be in the back of the mind or an intentional conversation with a stranger - “I've tried like hell to keep my health / Treat others well and understand / Why life's unfair, uncertain and mean / In the great American bar scene”.

The location is built into Bryan’s writing - he situates the emotions that cross the album as finding their footing in the bar, somehow making them seem almost obviously American. Whether it be heartbreak, rowdy Friday nights, family loss or personal reflection, Bryan positions them within his Americana world and seats them all at the bar. It’s familiar, it’s accessible, and somehow, the album captures that narrative perfectly.

A universal experience like heading home for a funeral, is made definitively American by Bryan’s colloquial use of words like “yuppies”, those ‘Pink Skies’ becoming something that feel specific to the backdrop of an American family gathering. The line “there's a reason all them boys back when sang the blues”, on ‘Northern Thunder’ paying homage to the African-American rooted blues music that emerged in southern states after the American Civil War. The metaphors, descriptions and writing styles that Bryan pulls from are all distinctly American, not necessarily by choice, it's the language that he knows.

In the two years since its release, we’ve seen Bryan stumble, soar and search for stories in various corners of the world. The musician has reached heights of fame that are rarely touched, and has released an almost uncountable number of new songs. Yet, The Great American Bar Scene remains as a distinct moment in his career - one that defined his identity and aesthetic and acts as both a culmination and continuation of his career so far.

Whether it be the Springsteen feature on The Great American Bar Scene, the undeniable Tom Petty influenced ‘Slicked Back’ on With Heaven On Top, or the references to Woody Guthrie, Bryan’s music is reflective of the artists we crown as heroes of America.

From American Heartbreak to ‘American Nights’, The Great American Bar Scene to the disillusioned promise to “fight for our flags in some foreign place”, Bryan’s has made his way into that group already by emulating that desire for the “simplistic” Americana gone-by through his position as one of the most notable contemporary artists around.

“Bryan’s skill for connecting with people comes down to his passion for the ordinary”

Bryan’s latest adventures across the globe came with his “With Heaven on Tour”, a pair of sold out shows in the centre of London brought out thousands of people that have every word of the Oklahoman’s lyrics memorised. Cowboy boots that were likely made in the states, shirts with faded vintage adverts for Coors Light and Miller High Life - beers that are rarely seen in the UK - American flags on trucker hats and more denim than has ever graced the streets of London felt strangely at home. A Zach Bryan crowd is a sea of Americana on a different shore from its origins.

It’s a stark contrast to the typically reserved British manner, a leaning into the character of America rather than a movement against it. For some reason, an unapologetically American line like “Won't you take me fishing, and I wanna try out / for the seventh-grade football team” on ‘Nine Ball’ is screamed by British fans as if it was the mundane dream they were raised on too. Bryan’s skill for connecting with people comes down to his passion for the ordinary. Suddenly, with The Great American Bar Scene, the novelty of an American summer feels in reach, it feels relatable.

But, what does it mean when one of the protectors and interpreters of the timeless American Dream finds holes in it? With the release of the fiery ‘Bad News’ on With Heaven On Top, Bryan took his first steps into political commentary, commenting on the state of the US as being the “fading of the red, white and blue”. The song touches on ICE raids, political division, widespread violence and personal confusion, yet was all wrapped up in that signature Americana style. The contrast on the track perhaps only further emphasises the fading of the romanticised America we long for, becoming lost in its own web of bad news. Interwoven with mentions of Bryan’s long-held treasures including Springsteen, his “degenerate” friends, and his stint in the US military, that Americanness simply cannot be separated from the identity that Bryan has created.

That might be it, though, as the hard-hitting line in The Great American Bar Scene opener states, Bryan hopes “to only die on hills that are closest to my heart”. For all of its ups and downs, the associations that come with it, there’s an unmistakable Americanness attached to Bryan that will follow him across oceans and into every record he makes - it comes from a love for and an understanding of the place he was raised. To love something is to share and celebrate it as far and wide as possible; however, to love something is also to criticise it.

With such a rapid succession of released music, and a skill for immediate reflection, it’s likely that Bryan already has more red, white and blue tinged music on the way. His regular performance of the unreleased track ‘You’ll Get By’ weaves together mentions of wasted American dreams, passing of time, the certainty of highways alongside advocating to “never let your hands work for a rich man’s dime”. Combined with the approach he took on 'Bad News', it seems as if Bryan is likely to continue grounding his writing in what surrounds him, not shying away from the flaws of a rocky nation whilst suggesting simple, human solutions in poetic lines of prose. Ones that, to him, have always seemed obvious.

For now, though, on the Fourth of July, the stars and stripes that run through the Oklahoman’s music aren’t going anywhere. Like the Americana of old, his tales will last through thick and thin.

In honour of the album's second birthday, and after spending two years with this body of work, here’s our ranking of every song on The Great American Bar Scene:

1. Pink Skies (feat. Watchhouse)
2. Lucky Enough (Poem)
3. Better Days (feat. John Mayer)
4. Purple Gas (feat. Noeline Hofmann)
5. The Great American Bar Scene
6. 28
7. Northern Thunder
8. Sandpaper (feat. Bruce Springsteen)
9. Memphis; The Blues (feat. John Moreland/JR Carroll)
10. American Nights
11. The Way Back
12. Funny Man
13. Mechanical Bull
14. Oak Island
15. Bass Boat
16. Towers
17. Bathwater
18. Like Ida
19. Boons