Album Review: Zane Williams - Overnight Success

Zane Williams has lived (most of) the lyrics of the title track and lead single to Overnight Success and now with the album, he's releasing the biggest and best album of his career. Read on to see what we think of this album steeped in Country music's history while having an eye towards the

Honky Tonk two step fans will enjoy "Damned," a song that feels as if it'd have been at home on a Buck Owens album in the 50s, a Dwight Yoakam album in the 80s, a Garth album in the 90s or a Paisley album today. Written in classic style, it's an uptempo, happy melody married with a story that's a bit sad. Juxtaposed with "Damed" is "Kissin'" a fun little shuffling R&B soaked mid-tempo ballad. While more 'current' it still feels like a classic hit and something that one can see a band like Eli Young Band or Rascal Flatts performing. Now, this isn't to say that Zane Williams is a guy writing and recording albums just to get attention from Nashville artists and labels -- because he's not -- it's just that these songs are so great that Nashville's A&R reps would be foolish not to pay attention to these great songs.

Case in point? "When You've Got A Woman." If Zane can't get some mainstream radio success with this -- he'll get it in Texas as he's a presence on their self-sufficient charts -- then why not find another Country star suited to perform this, a song which requires a soulful vocalist in addition to Country credibility. "A Little Too Late" is mournful in the story that Zane weaves about a guy who realizes that taking a chance on a girl he likes has passed. It's a classic Country story married to an interesting mid-tempo melody with stellar steel guitar weaved between Zane's vocals.

As good as all of these songs are there are two songs on Overnight Success which clearly stand out as the best songs on the record; the sweet parental ballad "While I Was I Away" and "Hands Of A Workin' Man." The latter is the kind of stomping track that could become a massive hit via non-traditional channels (commercials, sports events, TV shows like "Justified") that could help Zane Williams breakout in a massive way. The former is written about Zane's young son and the changes he sees in the little boy every time he has to go out of town to make music that pays his family's bills. Now, this song will obviously hit home to musicians and artists who travel out of town a lot but for anyone who has a child and leaves home before their child gets up in the morning and gets home after they've gone to bed, this is a song that will hit home. It's acoustic with some viola providing musical color behind Zane's guitar and vocal. 

Everything about Overnight Successs is -- frankly -- stunning. One of 2013's best written, best-produced country albums and clearly the best of Zane Willams career to date.

To buy the album, click the banner below and search "Zane Williams Overnight Success" You'll not only find Zane's CD (or MP3) but you'll also help Roughstock in the process! A win-win!

 

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