I am sure many
of you are wondering why I am reviewing Zac Brown Band’s Uncaged seeing as how it debuted on July 6, 2012 and is now more
than a year old. There are several reasons as to why I am choosing to review an
older album. One is that singles from this album are still being released and
are on current country radio. “Jump Right In” was one of the most popular songs of the summer and “Sweet Annie”, the most recent single, is getting a lot of radio
play and gaining popularity on the iTunes “Top Singles” chart. Reason two is
that despite being over a year old, Uncaged
still in the top 10 country albums on iTunes. So clearly, this is a
noteworthy album that deserves my attention.
Photo courtesy of Country Countdown USA
Uncaged
is titled perfectly because the music styles on this album are just that. Not
confined purely to country music, the influences range from bluegrass to reggae
to R&B. While this diversity may thrill some fans, it left me scratching my
head, confused. Zac Brown is notorious for giving other artists a hard time
about being too mainstream and not country enough, and for disliking yuppie
(mainstream) fans. So why then, I wonder, did he create an album like this when
he could have just as easily created a purely country album. Now, I would never
dare to call Mr. Brown a hypocrite, but I do believe that he should worry more
about his own music than he does about others’. Uncaged is a good album, but it is far from perfect. There is no
flow to it, the song styles change so rapidly that one minute you’re listening
to a country/blue grass tune, and the next there’s a reggae song bumping
through your speakers. The only reason that this album does not sound like a
careless, disjointed mess is because the men in the Zac Brown Band are so
incredibly talented. “Sweet Annie”, “Goodbye In Her Eyes” and “Natural
Disaster” are some of the best work that ZBB has ever done. ZBB’s raw and
chilling harmonies are outstanding on these tracks and make you wonder why they
would even bother producing tunes such as “Island Song” and “Overnight”.
Photo courtesy of Yahoo! Music
When the Zac Brown Band does what
they do best, they are flawless. But when they stray away from that, their
songs are underwhelming and verge on awkward because it is obvious that they
are beyond their comfort zone. The following is a song-by-song review of Zac
Brown Band’s latest album Uncaged:
1)
Jump
Right in
“You can find me where the music meets
the ocean”
This
could easily be considered the country song of the summer. It was the perfect
song to listen to for a day at the beach or out on the water. It’s a fun song
that is very reminiscent of Jimmy Buffet and Kenny Chesney. “Jump Right In” is
very similar to previous ZBB songs in theme and style, specifically “Toes” and
“Where The Boat Leaves From”.
2)
Uncaged
“Gonna take every chance
Im given. Feel the wind through the open plains. Freedom is a gift get living”
The second song on the album is outstanding. It sounds like Zac Brown
Band 2.0, a more mature, edgier ZBB than we’ve heard before. I am in such awe
of how amazing this song sounds that I haven’t even fully appreciated the
lyrics yet. ZBB’s outstanding harmonies are fully present and combine
flawlessly with the guitar, fiddle and drums melody. There is a definite jam
rock influence in this song and it sound similar to something Dave Matthews
Band would produce, but with much clearer vocals.
3)
Goodbye
In Her Eyes
“She didn't have to say a word, it was
just so plain to see. She had found what she'd been looking for and I knew it
wasn't me”
This song
is classic Zac Brown Band: slower paced, with guitar/drums melody and
impeccable harmonies. Zac has the ability to put such emotion into a song
without sounding as though he’s over singing. “Goodbye” is a very intimate and
personal ballad; you can almost hear Zac’s heartbreaking through your speakers.
4)
The
Wind
“When I passed you on the street that day
should've let that red scarf fly away, like any chance I had of keeping you”
“The
Wind” is a down-home, knee-slappin’, chicken-fried, country song. There is a
discernable blue grass influence in the fiddle and drum beat. This song is like
the wind, it whips through your speakers so quickly that it’s over before
you’ve even realized it has begun.
5)
Island
Song
“Then I'mma roll one up like my name is
Bob. Yeah I'm gonna party like I'm a Jamaican”
This
reggae song has absolutely no place on this album. While I’m convinced that Zac
Brown could sing the phone book and make it interesting, I am even more certain
that he is no Bob Marley and should steer clear of reggae in the future.
Compared to the effortless and natural sound of “Uncaged” and “Goodbye”, this
song is trying way too hard. It’s a lazy man’s version of “Jump Right In” and
doesn’t have the same infectious and fun quality that that song possessed. After
listening to “The Wind” this song is a startling and unsettling change of pace.
While Jimmy Buffet may be able to pull this song off, it sounds out of place
and strange on a ZBB album.
6)
Sweet
Annie
“But one day lightning will strike and my
bark will lose its bite. Don’t’ give up on me, sweet Annie.”
Thankfully,
the Zac Brown Band gets Uncaged back
on track with this song. The harmonies are stunning and when combined with the
guitar, drums, fiddle and organ it makes for an outstanding tune. “Sweet Annie”
is a raw, natural and beautiful song, reminiscent of something that Little Big
Town would produce.
7)
Natural
Disaster
“She's like rain when she rolls in, but
that sunshine in her thunder makes the loneliest heart wonder if the ride is
worth the pain”
This song
is the Zac Brown Band at their finest. The opening harmonies and the sections
of the song where it is mostly vocals with light accompaniment are exceptional
and leave me with chills. “Natural Disaster” is potentially one of the best Zac
Brown Band songs ever. It is recognizably them, but has a unique quality about
it that is unlike anything else that we’ve ever heard off of their records.
This song perfectly captures what it is like to love a vivacious and lively
woman, and makes women everywhere want to be their man’s “natural disaster”. My
only issue with this song is that it is not long enough, and feels as if it is
over before it has even begun.
8)
Overnight
feat. Trombone Shorty
“First I'm gonna search your body over, I
gotta make sure you ain't hidin nothin nowhere. Ain't no time for talking show
me what you got”
As
coincidence would have it, my least favorite song follows my favorite song on
the album. Just as with “Island Song”, this song is unnatural. If Zac Brown is
no Bob Marley, than he certainly is no Barry White. I find this song extremely
uncomfortable to listen, particularly because it is very hard to picture Zac
Brown in his knit beanie hat singing this song and putting the smooth moves on
the ladies. While Zac’s voice is undeniably smooth and could fit in the R&B
world, this song does not fit in the Zac Brown Band world. In fact, Uncaged would not be lacking anything if
“Overnight” were to have not been on it. However, I do enjoy the jazz influence
and think that if it had been incorporated in a different way on a different
track, there could have been an amazing result.
9)
Lance’s
Song
“Another night of playing to a crowd with
no ears. Wanna hear the songs they know and fill their bellies full of beer”
This song
is a touching tribute to Lance Tilton. The combination of the fiddle and guitar
create a stunning melody and give the song an undeniable country feel. Not only
is this song a tribute to one of the band’s friends, but I also think it is a
reflection of how Zac feels about his career as well. “Lance’s Song” is not
over done or overly sentimental. It is a relatively simple song with just
enough ZBB flair to make it distinct.
10) Day That I Die feat. Amos Lee
“I wanna say that I, was a man who really
lived and never compromised. And when I've lived out my days, until the very
end, I hope they find me in my home, a guitar in my hands.”
This is a
fairly simple song with a beautiful meaning. It is about living your dream and
never compromising your principles for others. Amos Lee’s voice melds nicely
with the Zac Brown Band and adds a nice spice to the song. This is one of the
few ZBB songs where the lyrics are really
the central component, and not the harmonies or the superb instrumentals.
11) Last But Not Least
“Everyone I love the most has to take
what's left of me. I put it all together but I left out one big piece. I put
you last, but you're not least”
We can
all appreciate the ingeniousness of putting this title as the last (but not
least) of the album. This song is reminiscent of classic, older country. The
guitar and drum melody sound like something that George Strait would have in
one of his songs. It is also nice to hear another voice, other than Zac’s, highlighted
in a song. It mixes things up nicely and prevents this song from sounding too
much like their other stuff. “Last But Not Least” is another personal song
about the struggles to put loved ones first in life and not take them for
granted. This sentiment is something that many can relate to, as too often we
let our careers and busy lives get ahead of what’s truly important.
Photo courtesy of Peoria Civic Center
The Zac Brown
Band finds a way to incorporate their outstanding harmonies and unique flavor
into almost every one of their songs. Hopefully they will stick with what they
are good at and leave the reggae and R&B to the professionals. Despite
these shortcomings, it is their undeniable talent that shines through most on
every track. Overall, Uncaged is another
solid album from this southern-rock-country band of brothers.
