Highroad No. 28’s “This Troubled Soul” arrives with a quiet gravity, the kind that doesn’t lean on volume or theatrics but on the weight of its own stillness. From the outset, the song moves like a steady pulse under dim light: subtle, persistent, and deeply felt. It’s a track that builds its world patiently, drawing the listener into a space shaped by restraint rather than explosiveness.
The opening guitar textures set a contemplative tone, drifting in slow arcs that feel both delicate and deliberate; then a shadowed bass line grounds everything, moving with a kind of slow-burn resolve. With Andrew JC taking on every instrument and vocal, there’s a unified sensibility to the sound, each layer responding to the next as if all parts share the same unsettled heartbeat. His vocal delivery is understated but pointed, carrying a sense of inner dialogue rather than outward declaration.
The production, shaped at Sing Sing Studios, leans into the atmosphere. There’s a noticeable openness in the mix, leaving room for breaths, pauses, and the subtle edges of emotion that don’t need amplification to land. The song never forces its tension; it lets it simmer, inviting listeners to feel the weight rather than be overwhelmed by it.
“This Troubled Soul” treads the terrain of private struggle through its lyrics: the quiet endurance we learn in the spaces where no one is watching; and as the track grows toward its final ascent, the melody widens into something gently luminous. It isn’t triumph, but recognition: a moment where heaviness and clarity coexist.
As a step toward The Will to Endure, this release signals a creative shift: more intimate, more distilled, and unmistakably grounded in truth. “This Troubled Soul” doesn’t shout its presence; it truly resonates, and in doing so, becomes unforgettable..
