Highroad No. 28, an Australian alt-rock band, has published Ache, a very strong and emotional single that preconditions the beginning of a new and interesting period in the life of this group. Being the first song release off their third album, the Will to Endure, the song demonstrates the band moulding their heavy sound into something more sinister and more philosophical and far more emotionally advanced. It is a significant progression and clearly shows that they are not afraid of getting into personal themes yet remain melodically strong, as is the characteristic of their music.
Since the very first lines, Ache drags the listener to the environment of a world constructed on the basis of emotional depth. The singing is authentic and raw, burdened with recollection and desirousness, and the sonic realm is filled with the sweeping guitars. These ascending guitar lines are laid over the heavy, rolling bass, and they create a platform which is both colossal and the most intimate simultaneously. The outcome is a musical field that is able to be both vast and small.
The song was recorded at Sing Sing Recording Studios in Melbourne a famous recording facility and mixed by up and coming producer James Taplin. The polished and at the same time atmospheric nature of the production fits the song well. All the aspects, including the surrounding guitars and the passionate performance of the vocals, are carefully placed in order to accentuate the sense of the yearning in the song. It goes without saying that the band came to this new stage ambitious and with a new creative vision.
Deep down, Ache explores the idea of emotional honesty. It considers the suffering which lingers with us even when love is over and discovers surprising beauty in the fact that we do manage to experience something real. Instead of merely lamenting what has been lost, that ongoing pain is shown in the song as a sign of being alive, as a sign of the heart being able to make meaningful connections.
With The Orchard, Ache is currently being sold all over the world, preparing a powerful comeback of Highroad No. 28. The next era of the band already seems like an exciting work with a music video on the anthem and an album that, hopefully, will bring an even deeper emotional level to their work.
Listen to Ache below
Follow Highroad No. 28 on
