★★★★★

Zac Brown Band’s latest album, The Comeback, is a 15-track masterpiece that rediscovers what makes us human, celebrates the things that bring us together, and recognizes the resilience people have shown in the past year. 

After its last album, The Owl (2019), was met with an underwhelming response from fans, Zac Brown Band (ZBB) returns to its country roots in The Comeback, released on Oct. 15. It touches on themes that are reminiscent of past albums—genuine love, Georgia roots, and living life to the fullest. 

The previously released single “Same Boat” reminds us that although we come from different walks of life, we are all going through the same experiences. Although a simple sentiment, the song contains a profound philosophical message. 

When hearing the title track, “The Comeback,” it is rather difficult not to reflect on the events of the past year. Zac Brown takes a more hopeful approach as he speaks of the calm after the storm, the light after darkness, and the reckoning following a wreckage. “The only good thing about getting knocked down / Is the comeback when it comes back around,” he sings. 

Brown collaborated with country music singer and songwriter Luke Combs to make “Old Love Song.” With two of the best talents in country music coming together, it is no surprise that they were able to create pure lyrical magic, referencing classic love songs by Bob Dylan, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and many more.

“Stubborn Pride” and “Wild Palomino” are both brilliant ballads, but “Any Day Now” is the heartfelt gem of the album. It could even be the most emotionally rich song the band has written thus far. The climax gives listeners chills as Brown sings, “No I wasn’t done loving you / So many things I meant to do / I’m cold as the pillow by your empty nightstand / You’re long gone now with my heart in your hand.”

As ZBB said many moons ago—on its 2017 song “Welcome Home”—“My roots always keep me grounded / Roots remind me where I’m from / Even when I’m a thousand miles away from my roots / I’m home.” 

On The Comeback, ZBB has certainly returned to its roots, and it has truly struck gold with this album. It is not only a comeback for the band, but, as ZBB sings on the album’s “Fun Having Fun,” it also serves as a reminder that we need to appreciate every day because there really are only so many “trips around the sun.” 

What Brown has shown us time and time again is that music has the power to bring people together—during simple times when life is about enjoying fried chicken and the music on the radio as well as during times of difficulty and uncertainty when our strength is really put to the test. 

Featured Image Courtesy of Home Grown Music / Warner Music Nashville