Two from the vault on the same day…what did we do to deserve this kind of luck? Just a few hours after Zach Bryan put out a backyard jam of an unreleased single, “Like Ida,” he gifts fans with another new track, “28.”
I guess Zach Bryan was really into social media over the last 48 hours because he also reactivated his Instagram, thanking everyone who came out in March to see the Quittin’ Time Tour.
Before I get too sidetracked… back to this stunning piano ballad. “28” seems fitting, given that Bryan just entered his 28th year of life. The song talks about growing up and how hard it is to learn to be away from home and find a home in a new city or find a home in a new love.
Part of me wondering if ZB’s girlfriend inspired this song as the lyrics talk about Boston (where she is from) and the streets of New York:
“You took a train to the south side of Boston,
You showed me where your old man stayed,
Took 28 years of blood I was lost in,
To feel loved on my own birthday,
I always felt like I’s in between something,
Like home and somewhere far away,
But tonight on the west side in a bar out in Brooklyn,
I saw tears outline your face…”
Halfway through the song, his phone dips out, taking a fall off the piano, but that does not stop Bryan from continuing to get the song on video.
“How lucky are we?
It’s been a hell of a week, but we’re all grown now,
There’s smoke seeping out, of your bloody teeth,
But you’re home somehow.”
This beautiful track perfectly showcases the softer side of his vocals and prolific songwriting. I wonder if this means new ZB will be hitting streaming platforms soon. One can only hope, as he already has mountains of songs in the vault.
