"Like most writers who can't bring themselves to lay down their pen, Zach Bryan prefers creating to editing. Songs spill out of him, as do recordings. Only three days after delivering With Heaven on Top, the fourth album he's issued through Warner, he released an acoustic version of the same set of 25 songs, adding it on top of the original so the album now runs over two hours and 20 minutes, a length that stays true to his tradition of overabundance."
"Save "Slicked Back," where he stumbles backward into a pop song catchy enough to be a crossover hit, the path Bryan takes on With Heaven on Top is too winding and circuitous to lead him directly toward the mainstream. The additional instrumentation accentuates the mood as much as adding muscle. Horns drunkenly lumber into the spotlight, electric guitars echo in the distance, backing vocalists offer texture as much as supporting harmonies."
"Bryan tetchily explained his decision on an Instagram post: "I'm assuming this record is just like all the other ones and there's gonna be a billion people saying it's overproduced and shitty so I sat down in a room by myself and recorded all the songs acoustically so I didn't have to hear everyone whine about more stuff." The defensiveness"
Zach Bryan prefers creating to editing and immediately added an acoustic version three days after releasing With Heaven on Top. The 25-song set runs over two hours and 20 minutes and reflects a tendency toward overabundance. Production is robust, with horns, backing vocals and a big beat crafted for stadiums. Most songs lean into winding, circuitous arrangements rather than direct mainstream appeal, though "Slicked Back" flirts with a pop crossover. Additional instrumentation emphasizes mood as much as muscle; horns, electric guitars and backing singers supply texture. Some arrangements feel odd or off‑kilter, with horns and strings struggling on "Anyways" and heightening secondary emotions on "Always Willin'."
Read at Pitchfork
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