Country music has a natural affinity with powerful storytelling. Mountain Town takes the best part of the genre and elevates it with poetic lyricism, passionate vocal delivery, and a heartfelt message.
From the very first strum of a chord you can tell it will be a bittersweet journey, it’s always surprising how much of a story you can tell with music notes alone. With the piano echoing the refrain ‘This Highway Ends’ has already introduced itself before it’s even begun.
The intro fades into the home chords which are soon joined by the soft pitter patter of the drums that create a rainy mood as they softly set the pace. The production is flawless with every instrument keyed in perfectly, super crisp and clear, in it’s right and proper place.
Vocally the performance has that familiar twang but with a rich resonance and power behind it that feels wholly authentic. You can tell that every line is felt with the same passion that penned it and it gives it great emotive weight.
The song dances with mortality, highlighting the beauty of our fragile and fleeting time on this plane of existence. It is great songwriting in that it manages to mix the light in with the dark and create something nuanced, interesting, and with something of substance to say.
Using the extended metaphor of a long open road, Mountain Town paints a vivid picture and details all of the broken down pit-stops, flat tires, and torrential downpours that could take any good motor off the road. Throughout the song it keeps coming back to the end of the road, to never lose sight of the inevitable final destination and how accepting this hard truth can guide your wheel.
It’s country music down right. A strong focus on tight masterful instrumentation, poignant and powerful working class wisdom, and production so tight every note sings as loudly as the next.
Words by Matt Miles
