The Owl (album) explained

The Owl
Type:studio
Artist:Zac Brown Band
Cover:Zac Brown Band - The Owl.png
Length:37:39
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The Owl is the sixth studio album by American country music band Zac Brown Band. It was released on September 20, 2019, through Wheelhouse Records.

Content

It is described as the band's "most personal album to date". For this album, the band worked with pop and EDM writer and producers such as Poo Bear, Shawn Mendes, Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder, and Skrillex. One of the tracks features a collaboration with Brandi Carlile.[1] [2]

Critical reception

Kelly Dearmore of the blog Sounds Like Nashville gave a largely negative review, criticizing the lack of country sound relative to the band's preceding albums and comparing many songs negatively to Brown's electronica side project Sir Rosevelt.[3] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic also noted parallels to the Sir Rosevelt album. He concluded his review with "The fact that a good chunk of the numbers work does not erase how deeply strange this album is."[4]

Pip Ellwood-Hughes of Entertainment Focus gave a negative review stating, "Zac Brown Band have shown what they can do in the past and this set of songs doesn't come close. If this were the debut album of a new pop band, it may be received kindlier but this is a misjudged project from a beloved Country band that attempts to push boundaries but will likely just turn their fans off."

Commercial performance

The Owl debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 106,000 album-equivalent units, including 99,000 pure album sales. It is Zac Brown Band's sixth US top 10 album.[5] The album has sold 137,100 copies in the United States as of March 2020.[6]

Personnel

[7] Zac Brown Band

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Peak
position
US Billboard 2002

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[8] 44

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Whitaker. Sterling. Zac Brown Band Reveal Details For Upcoming Sixth Album, 'The Owl'. Taste of Country. July 26, 2019. August 23, 2019.
  2. Web site: Hudak. Joseph. Hear Zac Brown Band Rap, Roll on New Party Jam 'Need This'. Rolling Stone. August 23, 2019. August 24, 2019.
  3. Web site: Album Review: Zac Brown Band's 'The Owl'. Sounds Like Nashville. September 20, 2019. September 20, 2019.
  4. Web site: The Owl . AllMusic. September 20, 2019.
  5. Web site: Post Malone's 'Hollywood's Bleeding' Nets Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart; Zac Brown Band & Blink-182 Debut at Nos. 2 & 3. Billboard. Caulfield. Keith. September 29, 2019. September 30, 2019.
  6. Web site: Top 10 Country Albums Pure Sales Chart: March 9, 2020 . RoughStock. Matt . Bjorke . March 10, 2020 . March 22, 2020 .
  7. Web site: Credits . . September 30, 2019.
  8. Web site: Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. July 13, 2020.