Zach Adams – “Dead Man Walking”

Zach Adams’s full-length album, “Dead Man Walking” is really a big step for them and I’m pretty sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. Up to now, they’ve mostly been known for their work behind the scenes as a producer and multi-instrumentalist. This time, they’re handling everything, writing, performing, and shaping the whole thing on their own. The album connects to a novel Adams also wrote, which adds an extra layer if you’re into story-driven projects.

A couple tracks stand out right away. The title track, “Dead Man Walking”, works as a theme for the main character, but it also plays like a message from the villain. It’s intense and sets the tone early. Then there’s “Drown”, which taps into the character’s mental state and carries a more inward, unsettled energy, that one’s probably my favorite, it hits a balance between chaos and clarity that stuck with me. The closing song, “Phantom Love”, has this strange charm to it. It’s been described as the Beatles on antidepressants, and honestly, I get that.

The whole thing has a raw edge, but not in a messy way, you can tell Adams had full creative control, and it makes a difference. Follow Zach Adams on social media to stay in the loop on new stuff coming later in 2025.