photo courtesy of Zach Phillips

Album Review of Zach Phillips: Goddaughters

A couple years ago, I reviewed Zach Phillips’ The Wine of Youth. Well, the soft rock singer-songwriter is back with his latest release, Goddaughters.

I really like Zach Phillips‘ sound. It’s a breath of fresh air. Well-crafted songs with a familiar but entirely original sound, typically with a lot more rock ‘n roll infused into the music than seems apparent ay first glance. It’s always (by “always,” I mean “twice so far”) a pleasure to review one of his albums; it’s fun to peel the onions that are his songs.

On Goddaughters, Zach kicks things off with a wall-of-sound instrumental opener, “Cassiopeia,” quickly establishing his rock ‘n roll street cred, something a song-driven rock artist needs to do from time to time, lest his listeners confuse him with a singer-songwriter of the folkier variety.

The introductory instrumental flows into an energetic, richly instrumented mid-tempo ditty, “Worshipers,” that settles neatly within Zach high-ish vocal range.

image courtesy of Zach Phillips

With Zach’s rockin’ roots clearly established, the third track, “New Star,” is ethereal, though it’s really more soft psychedelic rock than anything else.

“Harmony Grove” follows, opening with distorted axework, leading to a catchy whitebread-funky rhythm and an almost country-rootsy vibe. The result of this really cool amalgam is a catchy seventies rock-styled number.

“Psychics” carries a similar vibe but with more organ and – eventually, after a long lead-in – its very own faster tempo. How do I describe this sound, found in spades on “Psychics,” but also here and there throughout Goddaughters? Acid rock on valium, but not quite that mellow, I suppose.

The song “Goddaughters” rides in on an organ, but the opening vocals are supported just as much by the acoustic guitar-picking. As with the rest of the disc, Zach’s rich vocals, which require the sort of full production treatment they receive, carry the day. Well, that and the songwriting. Lyrically, Zach’s ode to goddaughters is tentpoled by the line “Goddaughters don’t ask for anything but get everything.” Well-selected to serve as the album’s title track, it’s one that’ll stick with you.

Next up, “Curses” is a song with a rhythmic engine that gets things moving again. After swaying your way through it, with its hooky rhythm guitar and the predictably recurring appearance of a heavier background riff carrying you along, you’ll find yourself stopping and saying to yourself, “Wait, that song was called ‘Curses.’ Why did its tempo make me smile?”

The quality of the songs remains high throughout the rest of the disc, though I’m at risk of reusing too many adjectives and descriptive phrases if I review each in depth, so I’ll zip through them: “The Hour When I First Believed” is driven by a steady rhythm and Zach’s soaring vocals; “Courtesy of a True God” is a crunchier number with a steady, plodding tempo, a Tom Petty guitar sound and song structure, and a mid-’80s Talking Heads vibe; “The Big Mountain” blends a soaring, expansive sound with a playful, minimalist guitar riff that’s one of the most memorable on the album; and “Ocean of Song” opens briefly, if you listen closely (and only if you really want to hear it), with an acoustically strummed Judas Priest “Living After Midnight” riff that recurs with the chorus. You may not hear that riff the way I do, but you’ll definitely appreciate the energy of the instruments and the hint of an edge in Zach’s voice in a couple spots during “Ocean of Song.” It’s a powerful penultimate track, building toward the end almost right up to the closing fade.

Zach closes the disc by completing the circle, with the instrumental “Cassiopeia in the Stars” harkening back to the opening track.

As a whole, the album is pleasant, energetic, and joyful. It’s a great mood-lifting disc. It’s not too loud, but it’s a rock ‘n roll record – or roots rock, if you prefer, since that’s where Zach is typically categorized. A great voice. Well-written songs. Terrific arrangements and recordings. And several songs capable of being memorable takeaways, specifically depending on each listener’s personal preference. My two personal favorites are “Harmony Grove” and “Curses,” though others, like “Goddaughters,” “Worshipers,” and “The Big Mountain” leave me with just as big an impact in the moment, particularly in the context of a full album listen. I’d be curious to hear which songs are other listeners’ personal standouts because I’m sure they’ll differ from mine.

Additionally

There’s a little bit (but not a lot) of extra info about Zach at his website. You can also follow Zach on Instagram or Threads.

photo by Gloria Taylor; photo courtesy of Zach Phillips

Album Review of Zach Phillips: The Wine of Youth

I’ve reviewed a lot of hard rock lately, so here’s a little balance for you. Zach Phillips is a soft rock singer-songwriter of exceptional talent, delivering in The Wine of Youth a well-constructed collection of songs and pleasant melodies delivered with his warm, welcoming voice. Its laid-back soft rock style incorporates healthy doses of soft Americana, more energetic roots rock and perhaps a hint of folk to create Zach’s unassumingly original sound.

Sometimes, as on “Spirits Rising from the Lake,” there’s a clear ’70s rock flavor to Zach’s music, maybe even a more modern Tom Petty flavor. It’s hard to place, exactly, since this song – most on this disc, in fact – just move along so pleasantly I catch myself bobbing my head left and right, tapping my feet, and enjoying. I’m sure you will, too.

Other times, like on “Stars Fading Behind Clouds,” the guitar picking suggests folk – just an example of one of the places I’m getting that vibe. In this instance, there’s an open-spaces, western, Americana flavor, as well.

photo via NAMM; photo courtesy of Zach Phillips

One of my favorite songs early on this disc, “Ladybird,” sports a different type of Americana flavor, with slide guitar (and the use of the word “magpie,” probably) giving it a down-home feel, though with a big, full sound like you might hear in a small-town concert hall.

“Cascadia” adds a little psychedelia – and much more volume – to Zach’s laid-back style. Then, next, as much as the power of “Cascadia” will shake you awake, “Stranded in the Sun” will let you drift off again. If you’re looking for the antidote to too much hard rock, this one of the recommended tracks, soft, meandering, and perhaps a little more thinly instrumented than most of the songs on this album. Introspective, as well, its deep thoughts conclude with “Please, would you take me as I am?”

photo by Gloria Taylor; photo courtesy of Zach Phillips

Other songs worth noting are “Cemetery Girl,” with a guitar and vocal style that are darker, producing an almost alt-rock vibe on what’s still very clearly a soft Americana style; “Caroline”, with a plodding pace that belies the song’s engaging, emotional slow build to power; and “Hey, San Diego,” which is a cheerfully uptempo ditty that lightly twangs, an open love letter to the city of San Diego.

The title song, “The Wine of Youth,” closes the album gently and nostalgically, a soft landing for an album that’s an ideal, welcome respite when you’re looking for a little calmness.

In total, The Wine of Youth is a sharply-assembled, enjoyable, laid-back soft rock album with the depth and breadth of underlying influences to pleasantly allow repeated listens. It’s a great addition to a broad-based music collection. I dig this disc.