Zach Byran has recently released a smashing country album. “The Great American Bar Scene” is a masterpiece.

I never liked country music. I was told early on by guitar tutors that country music was simple and too easy to play. All you needed were four chords and a capo.

Fast forward to the modern day and I can’t get enough. “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan has been in the UK charts longer than I can remember, holding number one for seven weeks.

When I started attending open mics again after lockdown I noticed a passion for country music in my fellow open mic goers. I tried to ignore it and hoped that alternative rock (or the likes of Biffy Clyro) would penetrate the genres. The opposite happened and I came to appreciate music from the deep south.

Is it simple? Undoubtedly. But given a simple metric and harmony means that each lyric can take the centre stage. Melodies are prominent, allowing for the best emotive forms to break through the noise.

Zach Bryan’s hit “Something in the Orange” took my breath away. I remember the first time I heard it sung at an open mic. I also remember the following few dozen times…

Bryan doesn’t miss with his fifth studio album. Featuring the likes of John Mayer and Bruce Springsteen, it’s filled with clout.

“Pink Skies” was the first single released before the album. It’s a harrowingly beautiful song, tainted with sadness and hope. My standout tracks are “28” for being another haunting song, “American Nights” for making me want to dance, and “Sandpaper” for its anthemic hooks.

Every track on the album is great.

At the time of writing Zach Bryan has 33.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. I guess this country stuff is popular for a reason…