The Foundation (Deluxe Version)

On their major label debut, the Zac Brown Band aim for the sweet spot between ‘70s-style Southern rock and 21st-Century country-pop and for the most part they hit their target dead-on. The Foundation manages to showcase the considerable writing and instrumental skills of the group without losing its unpretentious feel. The music here avoids rebel posturing or hat-act romantic gush in favor of plain-spoken storytelling and unvarnished acoustic-based musicianship. After years of touring, the group is adept at everything from turbo-charged bluegrass (“Mary”) to breezy Caribbean ditties (“Where the Boat Leaves From”) and goofy comedy pieces (“It’s Not OK,” “Sic ‘Em On a Chicken”). Brown’s lead vocals display a James Taylor-like warmth on the melancholy “Highway 20 Ride” and the uplifting “Free.” Tasty touches abound, with Jimmy De Martini’s fiddle adding blazing licks to “Mary” and mournful accents to “Jolene.” Radio-friendly tunes like “Chicken Fried” and “Different Kind of Fine” are fairly predictable but redeemed by crisp arrangements and an overall sincerity. Solidly rendered with plenty of personality, The Foundation captures a hard-working heartland combo with something to prove and the talent to back it up.