Released a year after his gold-certified debut,
Zach Top
's sophomore set,
Ain't in It for My Health
, doubles down on the smooth-as-silk sound that made him a breakout star. After swapping bluegrass for country in 2024,
Top
's career took off thanks in part to throwback singles like "I Never Lie" and "Sounds Like the Radio," two songs that evoke the slick neotraditional tone of forebears like
Keith Whitley
and
Alan Jackson
. He kept the formula intact on "Good Times and Tan Lines," another playful cut in the
Jackson
mold that serves as the lead single from his follow-up. With his warm, relaxed vocals and nimble guitar picking,
inhabits this world with ease, riding the border between heartfelt and hokey with just enough moxie to pull it off. Cuts like "Guitar" and "Honky Tonk 'til It Hurts" are playful boot-scootin' exercises that keep the record moving amid the well-crafted ballads.
is early enough in his career that riding the '90s nostalgia wave for two consecutive LPs is still effective, though it will be interesting to see where he takes it from here. ~ Timothy Monger