Zach Bryan has been at the forefront of the entire music industry for the last three years. In that time, he has put out more music than any other A-list superstar in country music. Since May of 2022, Bryan has released three studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, and multiple standalone singles. Consequently, it’s become easy to forget about some of his music.
July 15th, 2025, marks the third anniversary of his Summertime Blues EP, which he dropped shortly after American Heartbreak. It’s hard to believe that it has already been three whole years since then, as Zach Bryan feels like a completely different artist now than he was then. The Summertime Blues era leaned a lot more towards traditional country music compared to his less acoustic rock sound of today. Summertime Blues follows more country stereotypes through its storytelling and production. While other projects like his recent collection of songs from London lean towards a more alternative-rock sound.
With so much music released over the past three years, Summertime Blues is easy to overlook, but it’s quietly stood the test of time, even if its tracklist isn’t top of mind for most Zach Bryan fans. The clear fan favorite from minute one to present day has been “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” which has found its way into the setlist of most of Bryan’s tours. Zach Bryan also named his recent tour after the opening track of the EP, “Quittin’ Time,” which has also become a fan favorite thanks to the epic banjo solo at the end of the track.
While those two tracks are the big hits, they aren’t necessarily the best songs featured. For example, Charles Wesley Godwin is featured on “Jamie,” and that barely gets talked about. The solo written by Bryan is a spectacularly compelling story song about a man getting killed by cops to be with his love. They sing, “this life ain’t worth livin’ If the love that you’ve been given is taken before you are,” which perfectly encapsulates the concept of the track. That’s what makes this song so gorgeous. Bryan tells an in-depth story that isn’t based on personal experience—it’s truly just a story. It’s impressive that he can write something that feels so real and personal, but that isn’t the case. The chemistry between two talented artists obviously makes the song good, but the story is what makes it great.
Lyrically, this is one of the best songs Bryan has ever put out. The writing, coupled with his chemistry with Godwin, takes this song to the next level, making it a clear standout even three years later. It’s not likely to happen, but it’s fun to imagine a world where these two teamed up again for another magnificent duet.
“Twenty So” is another one that feels like it gets passed over, as it has the second fewest streams on the entire EP. It does have meaningful lyrics, but you can still feel like you can exhale while listening and don’t need to chew on every word. This is the perfect song to play while cleaning on a nice spring day, as the weather is starting to improve again. It’s a nice anthem for people in their mid-twenties, as it’s easily relatable, trying to get saved from the “sweet nights of twenty so.”
There isn’t a bad song from the 9-track collection, but if you had to pick one that fell to the bottom of the barrel, it’s “Matt and Audie.” It’s the least-streamed song by a significant margin, with only around 17 million streams. Overall, it’s a cool concept, as it tells a Bonnie and Clyde-type story. Unfortunately, it just feels a little too rugged through the production, and at just over two minutes, you’re left wanting more.
Story-songs are what make the EP so good. Even if they aren’t personal experiences, you find yourself invested in the lyrics and the tale at hand. It feels like there were a lot more stories in this era of Bryan’s music than there are now, not just from “Jamie” and “Matt and Audie” but also from songs on American Heartbreak like “Billy Stay,” which makes a good case as his most underrated song. His songs now definitely still tell stories, but he isn’t exactly “storytelling.” Some of these older songs feel like you’re reading a book or watching a movie and are easier to follow. A lot of his newer music isn’t quite as on the nose and almost feels like “life updates.”
The EP came out back when ZB was still consistently working with producer Eddie Spear. Spear and Bryan co-produced the collection. To be frank, Bryan is at his best when he is working with Eddie Spear. There is a lot more structure to the music, and it feels fuller. Each instrument makes a much bigger impact through Spears’s production.
That’s not to knock Zach Bryan’s production, as he has shown massive improvements as a solo producer. Bryan has just taken a different stylistic direction, leaning more towards a slicker rock sound that strays away from a more country-based sound. Spear excels at striking a balance between a rugged and pure sound. This is clear in his biggest hits like “Something In The Orange” to others like “Motorcycle Drive By.” The guitar in that track is so distinguished, but it doesn’t dominate the whole song. Zach Bryan, as a solo producer, leans more into his rock influences, such as Kings of Leon, whereas Eddie holds true to a more country-tinged sound.
Zach Bryan isn’t just one of the most compelling storytellers; he’s one of the most compelling personalities in country music. It feels like a completely different world since ZB dropped Summertime Blues back in 2022. The only thing that seems to have stuck is that the EP is still very impressive, even if it’s fallen out of your consistent Zach Bryan rotation.
<div class=”grade”>8.8</div>
