Zac Brown Band, “Toes”

At this point, it’s admittedly not original to compare The  Zac Brown Band’s island flavored “Toes” to Kenny Chesney’s multiple attempts at tackling such sounds and themes. Likewise, it has not been original for awhile to compare Chesney to the iconic Jimmy Buffett who has clearly been one of Chesney’s musical influences over the past decade. Still, it seems just about impossible to avoid making such obvious comparisons.

So, where does “Toes” rank on the Chesney-Buffett continuum? Zac Brown and his crew have assembled a song worthy of the Buffett catalog, therefore, surpassing any beach themed song that Chesney has offered us thus far. While they freely give us “ass in the sand”, Chesney can only muster “a big ol’ pile of shift work”.

While “Toes” is mindlessly frivolous, it’s laidback, acoustic based island feel is oddly refreshing and will help fit the obligatory summer time single niche that radio is so hell-bent on filling. If radio will play a dark lament with cocaine and a whore, there’s a possibility that they’ll let this lighthearted ditty about “rolling a big fat one” and plopping an “ass in the sand” slide by too.

Grade: B

Listen: Zac Brown Band, “Toes”