Give
Bailey Zimmerman credit for this:
Religiously the Album, his full-length debut, doesn't seem as mired in the murk as
Leave the Light On, the mini-LP where he leaned into his debt to
Jason Aldean. He hasn't entirely shaken those dour vibes on
Religiously the Album -- deliberate minor-key churns will always summon the ghost of
Aldean -- but they're overshadowed by how
Zimmerman adopts a guileless everyman stance that makes his music a bit lighter. Despite his inclination toward brawny guitars and belting,
Zimmerman always sounds best in softer, sweeter surroundings; his slightly affected gravelly growl gives the country-pop just enough grit to not seem saccharine. That's not to say that
Zimmerman subverts or flips conventions. Whether they're songs about heartbreak or love -- which are pretty much the only subjects on
Religiously the Album -- he happily embraces cliches, hitting his marks like a pro in training. That eagerness to play the game is easier to take here than on
Leave the Light On because
Religiously skews toward soft rock, a sound that presents his carefully distressed authenticity in the best possible light. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine