BY KAYLA KRELLER
Zach Frost’s sophomore EP Bucket List is a journey through the need for self-improvement, yearning to help family, and a call to wake up and take action to better the world. His lyrics are real, raw, and honest. Zach tells it like it is and does not hold back. His unique sound blends influences from various genres, spanning everything from punk, to indie rock, to folk. The best EPs are those that make you think and Bucket List is no doubt one of those EPs. At first listen you may hear an upbeat indie album, but when you dive into the lyrics the subject matter really hits home.
The EP starts out strong with “Tombstone.” Despite what the title might imply, this is one of the most uplifting songs on the EP. It’s a song for people who aren’t satisfied with “good enough.” It is about wanting to live your life to the fullest and not giving into normal, but doing so without losing track of what is most important to you. One day we will all die, so do what makes you happy. It’s better to have taken risks then to have gone the safe route and die with regrets. I have to say, this might just be my favorite of the 5-song EP. It has the rebellious energy of the pop punk songs I grew up loving and is the kind of song you’ll want to sing from the rooftops.
The single from the EP is up next. First released back in April, “Rock Bottom” is catchy and upbeat, but at its core is Zach calling himself out in a somewhat lighthearted way. Time keeps moving whether you want it to or not, so it’s time to make a change in your life. Everyone has felt like they’ve hit rock bottom at some point and this song is here to tell you that you’re not alone in that, but it’s time to work towards bettering yourself.
The music video for “Rock Bottom” is fantastic as well. It was directed by Jakob Mooney and features other Columbus, Ohio locals such as the guys of Something Else and We Are The Movies. The video takes you through a house party where Zach is surrounded by some of his best friends, but you then start to see the struggle play out by the way his shirt gets more and more destroyed as time goes on. It’s like seeing the metaphor of the t-shirt play out in real time. The video helps drive home the point of when you hit rock bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up.
Track 3, “Make the Oceans Move,” is a whole journey in and of itself. The song begins as a bit of a rant against the self-obsession and need of a person to try and prove they’re better than everyone else through social media. It then moves into Zach feeling sorry for this person and their need to do this, until he soon admits that he is also guilty of the same things he has been denouncing. He questions his addiction to this validation. The song ends with spoken lyrics where Zach addresses that he needs to change. He was trying to impress people that really don’t matter to him when he should just be true to himself and those he loves. It gives a few nods to the previous track as well by repeating the lines “It’s time to change” and “I never wanted it to end this way.”
You don’t always want to feel comfortable with a song right away. Sometimes music that is more difficult to digest is the music with the most meaningful, powerful message. In track 4, Zach slows it down with a mix of piano and acoustic guitar, taking us on a journey of a son pleading to his mother to let him help her. She showed him that he was worthy and now it’s time for him to show her the same. He wants to help her leave the past behind and fight for her right to be happy, for her right to live. This is a deeply personal story that, even if you can’t directly relate to every word, will still affect you right down to your emotional core.
The final track, “Cheap Wine,” calls out a need to improve how we live in this world. We’re too consumed by the digital age and we all need to wake up and take action not only to better ourselves, but to better the world as a whole. There’s no point in spending all your time worrying about trying to impress those that don’t even matter. The combination of prominent electric guitars with producer and We Are The Movies front man, Tim Waters’, backing vocals gives the song a major pop punk vibe, the perfect ending to this genre-bending EP.
Bucket List drops on November 1st, so make sure you go check it out! An album release show will also be held on Friday, November 1st at Craft & Vinyl in Columbus, Ohio with Something Else and Chase Duncan. This is a party you do not want to miss!
