A Review of Zac Brown Band's 'Uncaged"

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.