Known to most people at this point in his career as the award-winning songwriter of the Jason Michael Carroll single “Hurry Home,” Zane Williams is also a very much capable singer and his own right.  For this record, his sophomore album, Zane Williams worked with fellow singer/songwriter and noted producer Radney Foster to craft a tight 10 song set of tunes that run the gamut from shuffle western numbers (“Tired of Being Perfect”) to partyin’ drinkin’ songs (“99 Bottles”) to reflective ballads (“Christmas is Christmas Again”).

With Radney Foster’s production touches, Zane Williams is showcased as an artist that is worth seeking out as The Right Place recalls the best about Jack Ingram and other mainstream-leaning Texas artists.  “99 Bottles” is purely Texas yet I could see this song becoming a well-played summer-time anthem as it takes the old party song “99 bottles of beer” on the wall theme and twists it into a much, much more fun and entertaining song while “Tired of Being Perfect” recalls a classic Buck Owens or more recent Dwight Yoakam track.  "Christmas Is Christmas Again" is a well-written holiday song that is worth listening to more than just at Christmas time. 

“I Am What I Am,” is a rockin’ little track and it fits into an oiled groove that keeps your toe tappin and singin’ along while the album’s title track, “The Right Place” is a similarly rockin little gem that finds Zane singing about a bar that helps one escape their troubles behind, even if it’s just for that night.  Story songs like “Six Steel Strings” (Co-written with Radney Foster) and “Pablo and Maria” help make The Right Place a balanced and well-thought out album and proves that albums madein Nashville needn’t be something that is ‘bombastic’ or ‘produced’ to a ‘slick sheen’ in order to be very fine albums.  Anyone looking for something real would do well to check out The Right Place and Zane Williams as he’s most definitely one of the better singer/songwriters working in the industry today.

You can support Zane Williams by purchasing this album at Amazon | iTunes.