Highway, "1973" (Unreleased)

Less driving music, than loping music: This track from Highway's upcoming debut, Black Letters Home, serves up an instantly hummable tune rendered li'l bit country through relaxed beat, honkytonk piano trills and the inimitable presence of vocalist Rob Bonds. Dylan comparisons could be made, not just from the gravelly timbre and left-handed specificities delivered through effortless rhyme-scheme—"where the birds were singing and the bees still bumbled/ and the dishes pile on the cocaine crumbles"—but Bonds also manages that neatest trick of immediate authenticity. Over restrained riffs from Nathan Jr. and casually note-perfect backing from tastemaker supergroup (featuring veterans of The Dandy Warhols, The Grails and Elliot Smith), he strolls a casual melancholy. Can't wait for the full release.

[audio:1973.mp3]

Links:
HighwaySpace

Photo courtesy of the band's 'Space. Biggest shot we could find!