Artist: Zach Myers Title: Halfway To Richmond
Self Issued Web: zachmyersmusic.com by Michael Macey (CMG 2006)

Halfway To Richmond from Zach Myers is a laid-back affair with a minimalist sound that really works to its advantage. Whether it's the blue-eyed soul sound of Are You Out There, or the simple finger-picked melody of To Hold You One More Time, the uncluttered nature of the recording has a sound that is warm and personal. It's obviously full of overdubs, but it has a production that gives it a live feel. Myers provides all the vocals and plays all the instruments except for percussion, which is provided by Brad Stevens. I've heard a lot of "one-man band" recordings and the vast majority of them have a tendency to be overproduced and somewhat self-indulgent. That's definitely not the case with Halfway To Richmond. The instrumentation is sparse, with a production that pushes the vocals to the front of the mix and songs that a lot of people can probably relate to.
Myers is a decent enough songwriter, with somewhat of a lovelorn aspect to his work. Titles of the songs like the two aforementioned and others such as As We Walk Away, Can't Live Without You, How Do I Get You, Gorgeous Girl and This Poor Heart pretty much tell the story of his lyrical style. He not treading any new ground here with his subject matter of love, looking for love, finding love, holding onto love, loss of love and love in general, but he presents them in such a manner that makes for a quality listening experience. Most of the up-tempo songs have a bouncy feel to them, and all of the tunes show his knack for a catchy melody. The arrangements are loose and funky with an emphasis on a guitar, bass, drums sound, with an occasional keyboard thrown in and overdubbed harmonies used to good effect. Myers is a respectable guitar player with some good chops and nice guitar tones.
Halfway to Richmond is a fine debut from a songwriter who shows a lot of promise. The melodies are strong and very memorable. The lyrics, though cliché at times, certainly have mainstream appeal. Myers' styles go from rock to pop to folk, with an emphasis on the rock and pop. I think this album has a broad appeal. It rocks hard enough to satisfy most people, with a few quieter songs to give it a nice balance. It's all very tastefully done, well produced and certainly deserves a listen.