Just a few weeks after releasing his new self-titled, Grammy-nominated album, on September 22nd, 2023, singer-songwriter Zach Bryan released a five-track “Boys of Faith” extended play, which is a musical release that is longer than a single, but shorter than a full album. This EP features collaborations with both Noah Kahan and Bon Iver while displaying Zach’s style of folk/country music. The extended play was published via Warner Records, an American record label.
Bryan’s self-titled full-length album landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country, Rock, Alternative, Americana/Folk and Rock album charts. The five tracks from his EP album ranked as the top five new entries on the US Spotify Streaming Chart for Friday, September 22nd. “Sarah’s Place,” a song from the extended play, currently has over two million streams from America alone.
Bryan made a great choice releasing this EP in addition to his successful album. It does a fantastic job combining music genres, including country, folk and alternative. The five songs in the EP are “Nine Ball,” “Sarah’s Place,” “Boys of Faith,” “Deep Satin” and “Pain, Sweet, Pain.” “Boys of Faith” comes with the song “Nine Ball,” which has a rock production sound similar to the song “Overtime” from his self-titled album. The tune is reminiscent of one of Bryan’s major influences, Jason Isbell.
The second song, “Sarah’s Place,” featuring Noah Kahan, exhibits Kahan’s alternative/indie music style with Bryan’s country/folk. Noah Kahan, like Bryan, is a recently successful American singer-songwriter. 27-year-old Kahan signed with Republic Records in 2017. The two artists’ song is an incredibly upbeat, endearing song about a past lover. The acoustic guitar and drum rhythm pulls everything together. This is by far my favorite song on the EP.
The third track is “Boys of Faith” featuring Bon Iver. It’s clear this song will become the most popular on the EP. It could even become Bryan’s second Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, following his duet with Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything.” “Boys of Faith” is a moving song about spending time with a group of old friends. The lyrics “But you stuck around when I was down” prefaces how Bryan’s friends never stopped believing in him and stuck by his side throughout his career. The music shows a mix of Bryan’s electric guitar and Bon Iver’s usual piano work. This was Bryan’s first collaboration with Bon Iver, and it was done beautifully.
The fourth song “Deep Satin’” is a fan favorite. People were upset when it didn’t make the self-titled full album. The song has an incredible mix of Bryan’s raw vocals and smooth instrumentals. The EP closes with the song “Pain, Sweet, Pain” which is a sad, heartfelt song. The background instrumentals fully make the song complete.
It’s incredibly clear to all who listen to any of Zach Bryan’s music that he is a very talented musician. But this EP specifically showcases Zach’s love for his fans.
