Highroad No.28 boldly enters this darker, more enigmatic phase of their art with "Ache", the first single from their forthcoming third album, "The Will to Endure". The track is a harbinger of change, with a darker, moodier aesthetic, and one that is even more poignant for a band already known for its emotional honesty and melodicism.
It was engineered by one James Taplin & mixed at the famous Melbourne studios Sing Sing. The track proves the band is pretty damn self-aware about the way they're maturing. The music immediately starts building tension with elaborate melodies that create a rhythmic rapport, simultaneously urgent and relaxed. The instrumentation moves deliberately, allowing each detail to take center stage.
The band's singing its feelings is all that matters, and it doesn't feel fake. It's not playing for sympathy. As the chorus builds, it's something that feels like a bruise forming beneath the skin, slow and deep yet undeniable.
"Ache" is interesting not just because of the sound, but also because it sounds like there's a resolve to it. Even in its most morbid moments, it features an understated defiance, the very title of the album itself means to endure. Highroad No. 28 isn't just mood playing, they are actually changing the game into something mature and purposeful, along which sadness and strength may coexist.