Zach Top’s upcoming record, Ain’t In It For My Health, feels like a love letter to traditional country music. It’s honky-tonk through and through, and it’s unapologetically rooted in the sounds that made the ‘90s golden. If you’ve been longing for an album that sounds like it was born in a smoky dance hall rather than a pop-country focus group, this is it.
Top makes it clear he’s not chasing trends like other artists do on the pop/hip-hop route. His voice carries every song with the kind of conviction you can’t fake. It’s the kind of vocal tone that makes you think of George Strait cruising through Amarillo by Morning or Randy Travis rolling out a deep baritone ballad. Top belongs in that conversation, and this album proves it.
The singles set the stage well. Good Times & Tan Lines had people thinking this might lean into beachy escapism, but in context, it feels like a palate cleanser before the real heart of the record kicks in. Yes, it’s got that Alan Jackson Chattahoochee energy that’s fun, breezy, and easy to play loud with the windows down, but the album as a whole digs deeper than that initial impression. South of Sanity is where Top really shows off his songwriting muscle. It’s a heartbreak anthem straight out of a neon-lit bar at 2 a.m., all aching fiddle and lonesome pedal steel. If you’re a sucker for those George Strait and Chris LeDoux-era rodeo ballads, this one will hit like a stiff shot of whiskey…and probably will make you want one.
One of the standout moments for me is She Makes. It’s tender without being too sappy or romantic. If you’re in a relationship, it’ll make you fall in love all over again. If you’re not, it might just make you wish you were. The sequencing here is brilliant; placing this just before South of Sanity creates an emotional roller coaster that is intentional and devastating in the best way possible.
The album does what so few records in modern country attempt: it doesn’t just nod to tradition, it lives in it. From the production choices that are organic, warm, and free of over-polished gloss to the storytelling, Zach Top has doubled down on authenticity. There’s no pop sheen, no gimmicky collaborations, and no desperate attempt to cross over to a different genre. This is a honky-tonk record, plain and simple.
If there’s one critique, it’s that some tracks still play it safe lyrically, but honestly, the way Zach delivers them makes up for any lack of complexity. His phrasing, tone, and timing breathe life into even the simplest lines. And truthfully, country music doesn’t always need to reinvent the wheel; it just needs to keep it spinning in the right direction. Zach Top is doing exactly that.
Ain’t In It For My Health isn’t just a sophomore album; it’s a genre-defining masterpiece. Top isn’t here for fame, frills, or formula. He’s here for the music, the dance floors, the late-night jukebox spins, and the real country fans who’ve been starving for something like this. If you’ve been missing that classic sound or clinging to his first album, stop worrying. Zach Top is carrying the torch, and with this album, it’s burning brighter than ever.
Rating: Five Stars
