On Sept. 22, alternative country singer-songwriter Zach Bryan released his first EP, “Boys of Faith”, featuring Noah Kahan — a folk-country singer whose album “Stick Season” has been a hit for people across America — and Bon Iver, an indie-folk artist who had a song featured in “Twilight: New Moon.”
The first song is “Nine Ball”, a higher energy song despite the not-so-go-lucky topic. “Nine Ball” unpacks a relationship between a son and his gambling-addicted father. With lyrics such as “my father was a betting man” and “I don’t wanna bet, but my daddy wrote a check,” you get a feel for what the narrator’s childhood was like.  Even with it being one of the shortest songs on the EP, it is able to dissect the idea of sons following in the footsteps of their fathers, even if it is not the path they want to follow. It implies that it is done partially out of fear — as his daddy’s a stone-cold killer — and out of the need to impress him.
The narrator’s distaste for his father is clear, as a son who not only loved but liked his father would not predict he would “… probably be nothin’ but this town’s old drunkard and die on a smoke stained stool.” Although the narrator complains about not being able to do traditional father-son bonding due to his dad’s poor habits, he is still playing a game of pool with a lot — too much — of his father’s money at stake.
Overall, “Nine Ball” is a great song. It may not be one of Bryan’s best songs, but it could definitely be up there. It is short, simple and catchy.
Next up is “Sarah’s Place”, featuring Noah Kahan. Right off the bat, it seems like a more sad, mellow song, but it does get a bit more upbeat after the introduction. The meaning behind this song is a bit more open, as it could be about a long-distance relationship or a relationship that ended due to a partner moving across the country. Although, this is simply my interpretation of the song and is by no means the official meaning.
In most of Bryan’s songs, there is a recurring theme about partners moving away to better places while the narrator sticks around in their hometown. This song is no exception to that theme and adds a new perspective to it. This song feels like the wound is fresh, as if this song was written just months after the partner had left, and the narrator is still just a teenager who longs for their lover.
The way Kahan and Bryan’s voices mesh together sounds fantastic. This song feels like a combination of Kahan’s “Stick Season” and Bryan’s “American Heartbreak,” and it is one of the better songs on the EP. It is fun yet sad, but also has that fond nostalgia with the underlying ache that comes with a lover being physically distant.
The third track is the namesake for the EP, “Boys of Faith”, featuring Bon Iver. This song was a bit disappointing, as hopes were high with the collaboration of Bryan and Bon Iver. It is a slower song, and feels much more calm and full of longing compared to the previous two.
The meaning of the song is interesting, and the song itself does a good job of representing those emotions. Yet, despite it again being the namesake for the album, it was unimpressive and did not stick out..
The fourth song is “Deep Stain”, which feels much like most of Bryan’s “American Heartbreak” album but is particularly similar to that album’s “From Austin.” from said album. It is much more dynamic compared to the previous three songs, as it fluctuates from loud to soft, from fast to slow.
Tying back to Bryan’s recurring theme in his music, the narrator is visiting their love in the great borough of Manhattan, where they feel lost and seemingly a little overwhelmed with how great the city is with big lights, passing taxis and Greyhound buses. This is one of the stronger songs in the EP, as it is similar to the songs that gave Bryan a name in the first place.
Finally, “Pain, Sweet Pain” is the last song on the EP. This is the perfect song to wrap up the EP, as it really embraces folk roots that find their ways into Bryan’s music. It reflects lots of early 2000s folk-country music, specifically music similar to Mumford and Sons.
The song wraps up the album perfectly by looping with “Nine Ball”, making it satisfying to listen to on repeat. The album is definitely well done and well rounded as a whole. It touches all of Bryan’s musical range, and it still ties back to his common themes.