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We headed into September knowing full well that we'd have our attention focused on one album. Zach Bryan's hugely anticipated, self-titled new record.
It's safe to say everyone's got themselves into a tizzy about its release, sending it straight to No.1 on the Billboard Albums Chart and giving both Zach and Kacey Musgraves their first No.1 single with their weighty duet, 'I Remember Everything'.
While we're celebrating the release of this astounding new album, we're also super excited about the new full-length from Larry Fleet! The Big Loud signee has dropped his third studio album, Earned It, cementing him as one of the best new acts bringing honky tonk to a neotraditional sound.
Let's delve in.
Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan
It’s hard to fathom how someone like Zach Bryan, whose output has been nothing short of impressive, continues to deliver such masterful songwriting.
This self-titled record is his best yet – an emotionally gruelling project that confronts the darkest parts of life. It's 16 self-produced songs that mangle and tear through life as though it is his very last day alive, as fear, loathing, death and sadness pulse like a faint heartbeat.
Funeral dirges bend and twist with piano-stretched confessionals as Bryan delivers each word with the weight of a two-ton anvil, making the record an experience that’ll leave you gobsmacked.
Rating: 10 / 10
Review By: Bee Delores
Read Bee Delores' full review of Zach Bryan's self-titled album here.
Larry Fleet - Earned it
Three studio albums in now with his latest offering, Larry Fleet has laid the foundation as a flag-bearer for the traditional country sound, establishing himself as one of the genre’s powerhouse male vocalists.
With this behemoth 21-track collection, Larry Fleet has many a story to tell, and few can do it better. Earned It is the epitome of a damn good, straight-up country album. From the honky-tonk dancefloor fillers, to the singalong anthems, to the introspective ballads, Larry Fleet has got it all covered.
The emergence of Fleet, amongst the Randall Kings, Drake Milligans and Jake Worthingtons of the world, has been a breath of fresh, traditional country air, and long may it continue. As far as 2023 mainstream albums go, this collection is as solid as you’ll find.
For more information and dates of all country albums being released in 2023, see below:
