Zach Bryan Readies 34-Song Album, “American Heartbreak”

Zach Bryan announced what will officially be his first full-length studio album called American Heartbreak back in January, with a release date of May 20th. What was left a mystery were details for the album like the track list and such. Now we’re finding out just how full the track list to this full-length album will be.
34 songs will end up on this highly-anticipated record from the Oklahoma native. Word is Zach Bryan has been working with a number of producers in multiple locations, trying to find the right chemistry to make sure the momentum he spurned recording his debut album in an Air BNB with a bunch of Navy buds—and later followed it up with an album recorded in a barn in the Pacific Northwest—doesn’t get stymied by a stuffy studio setting.
Apparently when Zach Bryan started recording for this album, he couldn’t stop. Not too surprising since during his short career that started with 2019’s DeAnn, the former Navy enlistee has been insanely prolific, along with impactful on his wildly fervent fans who follow along singing every single word when he performs live. Zach Bryan isn’t just a songwriter or a performer, he’s a phenomenon.

“I’d say true love rips your heart out and puts it back together all in the same sentence or song. Here’s an album I wrote with pain, laughter, humility, love and honesty,” Zach says. “I didn’t call it ‘American Heartbreak’ after a tacky love story, but because we all face trials every day and put ourselves back together every single time regardless. Whether in relationships or jobs, our families, our dreams or our let downs, I just wrote the whole thing praying someone just might relate to a story or two. I love you guys and I can’t wait for y’all to hear it.”
Ahead of the album, Zach Bryan has released multiple songs with videos, including “From Austin,” and “Highway Boys,” with another song called “Something in the Orange” being teased for April 22nd.
“As my first studio album I’ll say I did everything I possibly could to have written it as well as I knew how,” Zach said back in January. “This has been real challenging work for me and I’m incredibly excited for you guys to hear it.”
No pre-order links just yet, and considering how this album came about, vinyl may not be available on the release date. But with so many tracks to consume, as we’ve seen with other releases recently, it commonly portends a big debut on the charts.
Track Listing:
1. “Morning Time”
2. “Something in the Orange”
3. “Heavy Eyes”
4. “Mine Again”
5. “Happy Instead”
6. “Right Now the Best”
7. “The Outskirts”
8. “Younger Years”
9. “Cold Damn Vampires”
10. “Tishomingo”
11. “She’s Alright”
12. “You Are My Sunshine”
13. “Darling”
14. “Ninth Cloud”
15. “Oklahoma City”
16. “Sun To Me”
17. “Highway Boys”
18. “Whiskey Fever”
19. “Billy Stay
20. “Sober Side of Sorry”
21. “High Beams”
22. “The Good I’ll Do”
23. “Someday (Maggie’s)”
24. “Poems and Closing Time”
25. “From Austin”
26. “If She Wants a Cowboy”
27. “Corinthians (Proctor’s)”
28. “Open the Gate”
29. “Half Grown”
30. “No Cure”
31. “’68 Fastback”
32. “Blue
33. “Waterwell”
34. “This Road I Know”

March 30, 2022 @ 12:27 pm
wowza… been looking forward to this since he announced it.
guess he doesn’t want to save anything for a second album
March 30, 2022 @ 12:35 pm
This is not an album. It’s a playlist.
I don’t mind a double album but this is essentially a triple. 5 songs longer than The White Album. If after listening to this I don’t walk away thinking at least ~30% of the songs should have been cut, I will be shocked.
March 30, 2022 @ 12:49 pm
Hope not but probably inevitable. More like a boxed set.
March 30, 2022 @ 4:14 pm
Wow, William Lee golden and the goldens recorded 3 cds with 34 classic songs , and now this? I say I love it the more music you get the better, I hope more artists do this, 34 songs is alot better than 10, and every song on the Goldens albums are all great songs, so I hope the same holds true for this.
March 30, 2022 @ 8:12 pm
Honestly my issue is not that I dislike him, but I’ve had a hard time listening to him because I feel like he’s released too many songs and a lot of them just are take it or leave it. He has some songs that make me interested but so far I haven’t been blown away and none of his previous albums have been real albums. Just playlists of demos.
Seeing this track list just makes me afraid this album will fall into the same trap. I think there is a real art in crafting a 10-12 song album that takes the listener on some form of sonic journey (does not always have to be a narrative journey) and I also think that the art form is being lost by younger musicians. There are a lot of albums I listen to that despite every song being good, some of the songs should have been cut because the album starts to drone and the punch of those songs is lost. Tyler Childers’ Bottles and Bibles is one that comes to mind. Every track on that album is good but it was too long for the style of music he played on that album. At one point Apple Music only made an 8-9 track version of the album available and I was blown away at how much better the album played.
It’s incredibly difficult if not impossible to maintain the cohesion of an album over 34 tracks. So I’ll still give it a listen but I’m disappointed in this choice because I think there is a high likelihood this will make it harder to listen to him and discover his music.
March 31, 2022 @ 6:39 am
Are you listening to yourself? Complaining about to many songs. Wow. To each his own.
March 31, 2022 @ 7:47 am
@David Windham
Have you ever watched a movie that you enjoyed but felt that it went too long and should have had scenes cut out? Or someone is telling you a story that is really interesting and funny but it goes too long? It’s a similar concept.
You should try reading Aristotle sometime. More isn’t always better.
March 31, 2022 @ 7:53 am
Quoting Aristotle about a country album is a bit much. I say it is more like complaining about getting too many Christmas presents on Christmas morning. Who does that? By the way, I am not being critical, you have every right to not want that many songs, just not my opinion. Have a nice day my man.
April 2, 2022 @ 4:39 pm
The irony of your long-winded reply to your own comment …
March 30, 2022 @ 12:42 pm
This is an awful lot of songs. I really like what I have heard so far. He seems to be making the transition from “authentic guy with a guitar” to a full band with professional production without losing any of what made him so interesting.
But still, can it be sustained for 34 songs?
March 30, 2022 @ 12:56 pm
Of course, its Zach Bryan, he can’t do anything normally, there has to be an extra talking point.
I know the kid has talent but he has way too many gimmicks for me to take him seriously.
March 31, 2022 @ 7:51 am
God forbid someone be anything but “normal” hahahah some of y’all really need to step outside and touch grass
March 30, 2022 @ 12:56 pm
Lord Jesus, why in the hell…..
Cautiously optimistic here because I really like the guy, but “34 tracks” and “multiple producers in different locations” sounds like precursors to a disjointed mess of an album.
March 30, 2022 @ 1:10 pm
I have said this before. I like his story and hope he finds success. But for me, I just can’t share in the enthusiasm. Now, that is just my personal taste, but he does not hit the mark for me that he does for many others who frequent this website. Not a criticism, just an honest reply.
Like I said, I like his story more than the music. Maybe I can change my mind after a listen to more songs, but from what I have heard in the past, just doesn’t ring my bell though it probably should.
Best to him, however.
March 30, 2022 @ 2:15 pm
Feel the same way. And I’ve also made similar comments. It’s odd that we have to feel the need to apologize profusely for not liking his music on the comment section of a music review site. But, I guess that’s because he seems genuinely likable. From the live youtube videos I’ve seen, all the singing along at his shows would drive me nuts as well.
March 30, 2022 @ 4:00 pm
Billy,
Agree. Also, when you go against the grain on here, it can be brutal.
March 31, 2022 @ 6:32 am
Same here. On top of that, even all-time great artists have trouble pulling off double albums with no filler and this is a triple. Even if all are good songs, as a consumer it is hard to digest that much at once. Best of luck to him but he is just not my thing.
March 31, 2022 @ 7:27 am
I was going to post the same thing. With so much hype, and as a veteran myself, I have given Zach several listens. Other than a few songs, I keep wondering what I’m missing. I wish him success, but so far his music hasn’t really sparked anything more than mild interest.
March 30, 2022 @ 1:40 pm
I’m assuming 25 of them will sound exactly the same…
March 30, 2022 @ 1:43 pm
I wonder how much of the choice to do a 34 track album comes down to streaming? It sure seems like a lot of the most social media savvy artists (Bryan included) are pushing more songs out as part of an understanding that in the streaming era, attention is gold. Having an album of 34 songs is bound to increase streams and captures listeners for potentially multiple hours vs the traditional 11-12 tracks that clock in at 40 minutes?
I have high hopes for this album, but I have to wonder if the choice to do 34 songs is one rooted in “I have 34 great songs” or “34 songs helps me with Spotifys algorithms”?
March 31, 2022 @ 6:08 am
I don’t know, I could also see it not working out too well on streaming platforms. You tend to see an uptick of interest when a new album comes out, and then it passes within a few months. If he split this into four 8-song albums released every 9 months, he could sustain three years of momentum. Whereas with this, he’s blowing it all at once and interest will fade.
March 31, 2022 @ 6:24 am
Eh. He released his last album two years ago. It had 18 songs, and things have worked just fine.
I do think he probably should have gone with 3 10-12 song albums, but that’s just an aesthetic thing.
March 30, 2022 @ 1:48 pm
That’s like Colter’s whole career!
March 30, 2022 @ 1:52 pm
I think in the time when an “album” was the main push, the main work one would tpur under and the main commodity, it was beneficial for an artist to release albums as a full work. Nowadays people don’t consume, buy or even think of albums as a single work so much as collections of individual songs which will be consumed in whatever order they please, on varying playlists. In that sense it’s no longer as important for listeners to have more albums available anymore than more individual songs and it’s no more necessary for an artist to few a collection of songs that way. And when it comes to the way an artist is paid for streaming an album doesn’t matter as much as having as many individual songs out there as possible. So he may as well put it all out there to meet the listening experience, platforms, playlists, pay environment at their own terms. And even if only a few songs off the album resonate with the greater public it only serves to snowball the rest of the album sales, unlike if he had a few hits on 3 separate albums…I get it
March 30, 2022 @ 1:57 pm
I think I’ve shared my opinion on “too many song” albums ad nauseum on here. Like others have said I wanna like the guy as much as many of you do I really do. I don’t dislike him, but I’m not sure having to sift through 34 to find my favorite 12, 13, or even 20 is the way to my ears or heart on a debut album. I am looking forward to seeing him open for Willie and Turnpike here where there’s plenty of tickets still available for Aug. 4 at our Windy City Smokeout. Come one come all!!!
March 30, 2022 @ 6:26 pm
I’ll see you there don’t forget morgan wade is there that day too. You going Sunday for flatland and the moonpies?
March 30, 2022 @ 6:55 pm
There’s actually better odds that I’ll be there Sunday over Thursday for my 2 favorite bands in all the world…………Flatland & Moonpies….. them together is my dream concert…….just wish we could get rid of Bitchell Tenpenny and slide in anybody quality in that spot before Miranda…….but I’ll make it Sunday no matter what.
April 6, 2022 @ 10:31 am
Ahhhhh from my lips to God’s ears Bitchell Tenpenny it was just announced has been ousted from the Sunday lineup in favor of Kip Moore….Would I rather have Justin Moore, Cody Jinks or Johnson?…….absolutely but almost anything is better than…. Tenpenny. Don’t have to deal with Bitchell no more………………
March 30, 2022 @ 2:12 pm
Great. 34 songs that sound the same as all his other songs that all sound the same. Emo country.
March 30, 2022 @ 2:17 pm
Usually this many songs worry me. But when I went to see Bryan in concert last October, I was surprised by the songs he played I never heard (but his army of young kids knew every word) – songs not on DeAnn or Elisabeth or singles. I believe this man is sitting on a mine of songs that have been road tested and fine tune.
I still believe this is going to be the biggest album of the year not just in country music but all genres —- Taylor Swift Big.
April 3, 2022 @ 8:16 pm
Jesus help us all of your last sentence turns out to be true. Good Lord….
March 30, 2022 @ 2:22 pm
This is one of those artists that whenever I post about them, everyone on social media goes crazy, but everyone that comments has nothing but negative to say. Same thing for Charley Crockett. They’re artists whose popularity is swelling, yet receive sizable criticism. Every festival wants to book them, because they’re a hot name and will sell tickets.
I have no idea if this album will be good or not because I haven’t heard it yet. Neither have you. Generally speaking, I’m a “less is more” guy when it comes to songs. But as we’ve seen from the very beginning, you have to throw all the conventional wisdom out when it comes to Zach Bryan. None of this has made sense from the beginning, and those who’ve predicted his “flash in the pan” status from the beginning have had to eat those words. I’ll wait and see.
March 30, 2022 @ 8:03 pm
I love Charley Crockett! Thanks for introducing him to me
March 31, 2022 @ 10:51 am
Zach Bryan has a good voice though. That’s a major difference. Charley C is like a hipster role playing as an early 70’s country artists who sings with a constant bubble in his throat.
March 31, 2022 @ 2:09 pm
With Zach Bryan, IMHO, it’s the nature of how he’s been marketed and pushed to “go viral” by his manager/s…who just happen to specialize in making things “go viral”. You have group 1 of fans, in which his popularity is swelling among a segment of the population who just learned about this “unique” (in their eyes based on a limited knowledge of independent music), “one of a kind”, good looking guy who’s got lyrics that for the most part make you feel something beyond the pop music they currently listen to. It’s the sense of getting in on the ground floor, in a genre they’ve never listened to, and being able to show their friends / post on social media about something they think they have discovered, but in reality isn’t unique or new at all. It’s also fun to go to his shows and sing along at the top of your lungs like Taylor Swift or Bieber concert.
On the other hand, you have group 2, which is people who are actually into music who see all this praise he’s getting on social media, etc. and are saying “wait a minute, this isn’t bad, but it’s rough around the edges, and certainly not unique or worthy of all this praise at this stage”. This second group are people who follow music and take the time to comment on social media posts about it, or websites like this.
March 30, 2022 @ 2:36 pm
Looks kinda like over-sharing, but that’s where we are these days.
March 30, 2022 @ 2:44 pm
When are the Turnpike Troubadours dropping some new music?
34 songs. Oh boy. Never got into this kid’s hype so I am skeptical but kudos for going big.
March 30, 2022 @ 3:07 pm
Heck yes, the more the better. Some of these comments reminds me of what was said about Ryan Adams during his peak…”get an editor”. Imagine complaining about having more music to choose from, especially from an artist that consistently puts out great stuff.
March 30, 2022 @ 3:52 pm
What in the hell happened with that girl he married? Didn’t he name that whole second album after her?
March 31, 2022 @ 5:49 am
Pretty sure there’s a reason he only plays Revival from that album, hahaha.
Pretty sure they were like 23 when they got married? Shit happens.
March 31, 2022 @ 7:08 am
Easier and now socially acceptable to just divorce when the first rough spot hits. Or they jumped into matrimony without careful consideration.
But whatever. He wants to be a country star. Gotta have a couple of divorces on the record. Haha.
March 31, 2022 @ 8:10 am
So the divorce must have been planned all along. This dude is the real deal lolol.
March 31, 2022 @ 8:23 am
Works for Hollywood!
March 30, 2022 @ 6:24 pm
I am not too familiar with his music but I am in the minority when I appreciate when artists make long albums. I will have to likely order this so I can discover his music more. I like what I have heard thus far, but part of me still wishing it was just him and his guitar. Wish him the best and nice seeing another young artist appreciate well written songs, even more being able to write well written songs.
March 30, 2022 @ 6:37 pm
I’m actually surprised it’s only 34 songs because it seems like he writes a song every day. I think this is gonna be pretty damn good. Can’t wait
March 30, 2022 @ 8:01 pm
Imagine if the Duane Allman era Allman Brothers had put out a 34 song album.
It would have taken 5 records to get them all on.
That would have eaten my paper route profits for 2.5 months.
March 30, 2022 @ 9:40 pm
I guess Zach B. hasn’t heard the P.T. Barnum admonition: “Always leave them wanting more.”
March 31, 2022 @ 2:51 am
From 1974-1982, David Allan Coe released about 500 songs. What it meant for the select few of us that really wanted to dig into his songwriting was quite a bit of work and a heap of tunes that were “throw away” in stature. For me, the harvest is still amazing today (Tomorrow is Another Day, Whiskey and Women, Juanita, Spotlight, Gone, Rollin’ with the Punches, Seven Mile Bridge, Take it Easy Rider, I’ve Got Something to Say, etc.). I am totally fine with a bunch of releases because we have the ability to make playlists and some tunes will hit you the right way and you save them. If that tune was never released, you may never know!
March 31, 2022 @ 5:59 am
If you’re going to release this many songs I would’ve gone the Jinks and Eric Church route of releasing it as multiple projects over multiple weeks. Keeps the excitement going.
Either way excited for the release
March 31, 2022 @ 6:13 am
Goddamn what’s with all the negative comments on here?? Personally, I am pumped for this album!
March 31, 2022 @ 6:21 am
Sure, lay ’em on!
He doesn’t really play Elisabeth songs at his shows anymore, so I’m guessing he wanted to bulk up the catalog of songs that everybody knows…but I do wish he’d broken this into like 3 albums, released over the year.
Maybe one from each of the studios he’s working with?
Anyway, I’m really excited for a studio version of Ninth Cloud. Legitimately one of his best songs so far.
March 31, 2022 @ 6:29 am
I read through every one of these comments And soak in the optimism, the negativity, the cheering, and the variety. I am also the guy who waited every 5 miles with Zachary ran his most recent marathon, one day after two sold out shows. Seeing him grind away from early in the morning until often early the next morning to put these songs together, makes me a believer. As for his first two albums being demos put out as albums, I have really enjoyed those demos and so have thousands and thousands of others. Thank you each and every person who continues to provide positive, negative, and objective feedback. I am one of the worlds worst I just wanting to express my opinion to as many people as possible in the most efficient means available. It appears that this is a good platform for others to do the same. I hope to meet many of you in the weeks, months, and years to come. Have a great day and thank you for supporting my son, In whatever way works best for you. Even negative feedback is feedback and the strong will grow from that.
March 31, 2022 @ 7:26 am
I honestly think the complaints about the first couple albums being “demos” is an aesthetic thing.
I’m a big lo-fi/live albums guy, so I love the production on Elisabeth. It feels like I’m in the barn with Zach and the band, listening to some stories.
March 31, 2022 @ 6:33 am
Pretty funny all these critics complaining about to many songs. Zach could give a rip what critics think, he has said he will do it his way and doesn’t care about awards, status, etc. it’s a true love for him and he wants to put his music out for the public to hear. He is exploding with ideas and has enough talent to do it. Hell, most artist today can’t write one song and the music industry has to find them music to even make a 10 song album. Everyone quit crying and just sit back and enjoy.
March 31, 2022 @ 8:11 am
Hoo boy…. 34 songs…. If you are going to do that many songs, you should go the route Vince Gill took for “These Days.” He packaged a 40-plus-song album into four thematic albums-within-an-album, and the concept really worked. Instead of getting one *really long* Vince Gill album, I got four great albums that really hung together. Perhaps Zach would do better to sort the songs into three “themes” to try to bring some cohesion to the project. The themes could be fairly broad, but it would help break things down into manageable chunks. Also see Eric Church “Heart & Soul” or the last Reckless Kelly release.
March 31, 2022 @ 8:46 am
100% agree…but new Zach music is new Zach music, haha!
March 31, 2022 @ 8:33 am
I hope Zach takes a page out of the Grateful Dead book and let’s soundboards of his shows trade freely.
I don’t see a downside for him. Plus it will let us hear a show without too much crowd singing!
March 31, 2022 @ 9:23 am
I’ve tried to get into this dude, but I just can’t stand his voice. He sounds like an whiny emo kid, not like a genuine from-the-heart good ol’ boy.
And I’m sure THIRTY FOUR SONGS of acoustic whiny emo isn’t going to change my mind.
March 31, 2022 @ 3:52 pm
No one is asking for your opinion or asking you to listen to his music. Why post such a negative comment anyway. Karen of the male gender.
March 31, 2022 @ 9:38 pm
Nobody asked for your opinion of my opinion either. Does that make it invalid?
April 1, 2022 @ 3:58 am
It’s a comment thread. It literally exists for people to state their opinion.
April 1, 2022 @ 9:07 am
Exactly.
April 4, 2022 @ 5:48 am
I like to whine about whiners about whining about whiny singers
March 31, 2022 @ 10:29 am
Not a fan myself, but there’s definitely worse music and artists that can influence a younger generation of listeners. I’m ok being on the outside of this ‘phenomenon’. Plus, I’m sure he has fans that will look into his musical influences and find better music than they’ve been exposed to in the past. I’m happy for his success as he seems like an overall good guy.
March 31, 2022 @ 10:53 am
I actually like Zach Bryan. He definitely has the potential to do well and stick around for the long run. If anything, he’s comes off as authentic. My only slight complaint is that his lyrics could use more direction.
March 31, 2022 @ 1:11 pm
Eh, I don’t have the desire to sit through an album with 34 songs lol. I’ll just wait and see which songs get the most buzz and check those out. Albums with that much bulk are almost always full of filler.
March 31, 2022 @ 6:22 pm
I agree it’s a lot of songs, and they won’t all be good. But when I listen to music I shuffle an artist and listen all day. My interest in Childers faded because he only has about 30 songs total in 6 years. They get old after awhile
March 31, 2022 @ 10:15 pm
The 34 song album seems a bit extreme, but all the power to him. I like a lot of his stuff and I appreciate it more as I re-listen. It is hard task at 34 songs. I really like the two new releases. We shall see.
April 1, 2022 @ 12:31 pm
Someone tell him that his cover photo is blurry.
Good cover photos are a dying breed.
April 2, 2022 @ 5:46 am
I’m with a lot of these folks above. He seems like a really great dude, and there are flashes of brilliance in his writing, but he’s never quite done it for me. I’m a devout member of the Sturgill/Isbell/Turnpike/Childers school and I can appreciate that he and I more than likely both love the same music. He’s without a doubt a better songwriter than me and probably most of you guys here in the comments, but I don’t know if there’s any edge to him. Maybe there doesn’t need to be. This is just one mans opinion. My brother and all of his 23 year old friends love Zach Bryan dearly, but they also love Morgan Wallen. Am Am I implying Zach Bryan is just sad Morgan Wallen? Not exactly, but I’d say they definitely share a lot of the same demographic. I’m not here to gatekeep anyone else’s tastes, just think I’ve aged out of his primary appeal. Regardless, this is better than some of the other things the kids are listening to these days. Authenticity has been commodified, but that isn’t his fault.
April 23, 2022 @ 11:01 am
I think some people might not be too enthusiastic about a 34 track album and Zach knows this, that’s why he’s releasing a few songs early so it will really be like a 27 or 28 track album cuz we will have heard a handful already