Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band told Rolling Stone in January that their newest album, Jekyll + Hyde, was going to “take chances beyond what we’ve done before.”
And the three-time Grammy Award winners did not disappoint on the 16-track album released Tuesday. The Lp showcases a diverse range of music the band had yet to showcase on any of their previous three albums.
From country-radio hits such as “Homegrown” to ’80s rock style “Heavy is the Head,” to a jazz, big band sound on “Mango Tree,” Zac Brown Band brings a multitude of new sounds to its newest album, appealing to a broader base of music lovers than its older work, while pleasing its longtime fans.
Zac Brown Band debuted the first song on the album in January with the made-for-radio “Homegrown.” The song has spent the last 14 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 chart and the country-loving sound from the single fits right in with previous ZBB hits such as “Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” “Knee Deep” and “Jump Right In.”
Zac Brown Band has been known to cross over to rock in the past. “Heavy is the Head” is arguably their most rock-like song to date and features Chris Cornell from Soundgarden. The guitar riffs and solos felt like they could be found in any AC/DC, Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith song but fit in perfectly within this dynamic album. The song takes the group’s rock personality to another level.
On the other end of the spectrum, ZBB switches its tune to the sound of big band, jazz and swing with “Mango Tree.” The track features a prominent brass, string and saxophone sound reminiscent of big band, jazz and swing sounds. The song features Sara Bareilles and plays out as a duet between her and Brown that brings the easy-living beach lifestyle of the 1950s to mind.
“Beautiful Drug” is a unique sounding song that ZBB has yet to produce before Jekyll + Hyde. The track combines touches of country, folk, rock and even an essence of pop that makes the song sound like more of a pop song than anything. “Beautiful Drug” is a well-rounded song with a catchy chorus that could find itself ascending the rankings in a hurry.
The best song to sit on the beach with a Corona and listen to — a sound that ZBB fans have come to know and love — is probably “Castaway.” But “Loving You Easy” and “Bittersweet” join the ranks as well with mellow, chill vibes.
Fans of past ZBB songs such as “Colder Weather,” “Goodbye In Her Eyes” or” Highway 20 Ride” will recognize the similarity in “Remedy while Tomorrow Never Comes,” which brings a Mumford and Sons sound to the ninth track on the album.
Toward the end of the album, ZBB flirts with different genres, proving their range in musical ability. The album goes from a hard-hitting, seven-minute rock song with “Junkyard,” immediately to a country and bluegrass song, “I’ll Be Your Man (Song for a Daughter),” in which Brown gives fatherly advice, presumably to his four young daughters. The contrast between “Junkyard” and “I’ll Be Your Man” showcase just how far the range of songs is on this album.
Without a doubt, Jekyll + Hyde is like no album Zac Brown Band has ever produced before. But, for good reason, the group showcases its astounding musical capabilities, which should captivate former, current and future listeners. The album has a bit of everything. Whether rock, country, big band or pop fall into your favorite music genre, you’re sure to find something you like on Jekyll + Hyde.
Album rating: 4.2/5 stars
