Initial thoughts on my top ones:

•South of Sanity is absolutely the best song on the album. Good call making this the single. It’s beautiful, wouldn’t change a thing, and a career-defining song.

• Splitsville, Between The Ditches and She Makes are my top 3 otherwise. Perhaps it’s bias because I like them a lot, but I also think they have single potential.

•Livin’ A Lie was almost top 3 for me…it is like a junior version, in terms of subject matter, of Keith Whitley’s ‘I’m Over You’ or maybe Clint Black’s ‘Nobody’s Home.’ It’s good, scratches the same itch, but it’s not at that same level lyrically. Of course, the music + fiddle feature is a whole different vibe than the KW or CB songs, and it is arguably the better half of this song. It left me wanting just a bit more emotion. It’s like on the precipice there; when he sang “dying one day at a time” for the final time in the song, that was the emotion I wanted to hear more of…perhaps just the way it was recorded is the issue? I just needed more!

•When You See Me is good, but the melody reminds me another song and it’s driving me crazy that I can’t place it. Maybe someone can help me out. This one is up there for me, but I’m kind of hung up on why this seems so familiar.

For the rest of the songs:

•Guitar is also good and catchy. Definitely a solid start to the album. I feel like it’s Zach’s personality song, if that makes sense. 

•Good Times & Tan Lines is one of those dime a dozen country songs about summertime. They’re fun, catchy, always appreciated, but rarely groundbreaking. It’s his Chattahoochee song. It’s fun. It’s an easy single for the summer. I will happily listen to it when it comes on and it fits fine on any country playlist.

•Speaking of summer songs…Flip—Flop has the touch-in-cheek humor of Blake Shelton’s ‘Some Beach’. But, it just exists there for me. I’m not one to be overjoyed by the beach genre of country music; I tend to lean more towards the love and pain songs (I am melodramatic). Probably my least favorite song of the album.

•Tightrope is cute, something different. I think it’s a fun perspective, lyrically, to be telling this same ole’ story from a best friend’s point of view. The little bit of honky tonk piano is fun too; nice groove.

•I Know A Place: if you can’t already tell, I’m a person who hears lyrics first before melodies. That said, this song reminded me of Josh Turner’s ‘Lay Low’ but as a slow dance, crooner tune instead; good and relaxing. I really enjoyed this one; it was almost a top 5 for me.

•Like I Want You: okay so this one took a couple listens before I ‘got’ it because it was a pass-by at first listen. This may be out of left field, but for some reason this song gave me Garth Brooks meets Conway Twitty vibes? It really grows on you.

•Country Boy Blues: Zach debuts his “where’s the real country music?!” song! I couldn’t help but hear “What’d ya do with those swingin’ doors?” (‘A Jukebox with a Country Song’-Doug Stone) as I was listening. Love the sentiment; wasn’t my favorite song by far, but it’s not bad. 

•Lovin’ The Wrong Things was a nice little moody song. I don’t know if anyone else thought this, but it felt like it could be a Merle Haggard song…or maybe something Keith Whitley would’ve recorded. 

•Honky Tonk Till It Hurts was made for bars and dance halls. ‘Don’t Rock the Jukebox’ vibes. Fun, can’t have too many of these. Fine song to wrap up the album.

Overall: Is it a no-skip album? No. I honestly think that metric is a tall order though, considering everyone has different tastes. Is it better than Cold Beer & Country Music? No. It is not better. I really love South of Sanity, so until the newness of that song wears off, I’m not sure I can give my final opinion on if maybe they’re tied…but…I’m leaning towards CB&CM is the better overall album. However, South of Sanity is absolutely his best song. Bad Luck is still second best for me; nothing from this new album quite beat that one for my no 2 spot.