Zach Bolen - 1001

Published Monday 25th July 2016
Zach Bolen - 1001
Zach Bolen - 1001

STYLE: Roots/Acoustic
RATING 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 161025-23891
LABEL: BC Music
FORMAT: Digital Only Album

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Being an admirer of Citizens & Saints' modern worship output and long believing that worship leaders (or indeed practitioners of any other Christian ministry) should not be restricted to only writing songs of a particular type, I looked forward to this solo album by the C&S frontman with considerable interest. Zach has a good grasp of jangly pop rock which sometimes brings in a trace of Americana, such as on "Give It Time", and even on the close of "Stay Runaway", a bit of grunge. Zach's lyrics range over a wide sweep of subjects, like the need to hold on for our lives to what's important on "What They'll Never Find" and the stark realism of frailty on "I Will Let You Down". Not all Zach's songs work. "Holding You Close" has too many over-familiar images while "Leave Me Alone" teeters too close to indulgent self-pity. On the other hand, "Give It Time" sounds like something Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors might have come up with. '1001' would have made a better EP by dropping some of the weaker tracks. But there's no doubting Zach is a talented songsmith.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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