Zac Brown Band - Jekyll + Hyde

Zac Brown Band
Jekyll + Hyde
2015

In their latest release Jekyll + Hyde The Zac Brown Band have embraced the title fully and gone with a full throw everything at the wall approach.Their karaoke approach has often worked for them in the past because they kept it upbeat and gave most of what they were doing that country twang. That really can't be said for this record. There is just so much going on Reggae, Pop, Country, Rock, Soul and everything else imaginable is thrown into Jekyll + Hyde but not just adding flavor to the songs, but rather fully embracing the genre track by track. "Mango Tree" is a big band Frank Sinatra style song that just really doesn't work. Maybe that's the Mr. Hyde side coming out of Zac Brown Band, but it just really misses the mark. It's the same with "Tomorrow Never Comes" as they try to create some kind of Country EDM hybrid. There is an acoustic version of "Tomorrow Never Dies" as the final song of the album and it is a vast improvement on the first version. 

The absolute best written song on the record is "Dress Blues" which is no surprise after finding out it was written by Jason Isbell (of Drive By Truckers and Solo fame). "I'll Be Your Man (Song For a Daughter" is where The Zac Brown band are at their best, having fun and rocking out. The second half of the album definitely improves and the real spirit of the band starts to come out. At 16 tracks there is bound to be something for everyone on this release, but finding your favorite might take some time as this is a really long record. Jekyll + Hyde is as two faced as it's title suggests,but maybe, just maybe that's the point

6.8 out of 10