8/18/25 When I Die by Zachary Friederich

When I die - Zachary Friederich

I'm throwing out the rules again this week, this song is not available on SoundCloud but is undoubtedly the track of the week, so we're just gonna roll with it. I've spent quite a bit of time with Mr. Friederich's new EP "Some fantastic forever" since it's release and wrestled with making this another album of the week, it certainly deserves it, but decided to settle my focus on the opening track "When I Die".

That's not to say you shouldn't stay the path into the EP, it's a dense, welcoming journey through genre and the lives of characters that you'll always remember. I've been a big fan of Zachary for well over a decade now and can rember a couple of these songs as demos from years ago, so don't underestimate the amount of time and care that goes into his art. However the opening number "When I Die" is brand new to my ears and just might be a culmination of everything I love about Zachary's work.

"When I Die" is one of those songs that feels like it was always a part of your life, those rare tracks that seem to be birthed from the ether and built on a foundation of shared human experiences. The opening acoustic strum set the stage for Zachary to come in with his ever distinct voice and takes charge sonically and he never lets up for the near 4 minute run-time that whips by in a blur. The power pop influence is on full display with E-Street band organ stylings and pounding drums that lead you along on what results in a trip you'll wanna take over and over. Zachary has become an absolute master songwriter and it's on full display here.

He knew what he was doing putting this track up front on the EP, it's an absolutely perfect introduction to his work if you're new and a great way to start off one of my favorite releases of 2025. Make sure you reach out and show Zachary some love today, and make sure you dive into his insanely deep pool of music if you dig "When I Die".

Brandon Petit (TNMFL, Flyswatter Maestro)