Album Review

The Blue Highways – The Blue Highways EP

• 20th Aug 2019

Formed in London in 2018, Americana quartet The Blue Highways already have numerous festival and radio credits to their name. The band includes a trio of brothers, Callum Lury (vocals and rhythm guitar), Theo Lury (drums) and Jack Lury (lead guitar) and Peter Dixon on bass. This eponymous four track EP is a good showcase for a talented band with a bright and varied sound.

Opening track and lead single He Worked is a lament on opportunities passed by. It tells of a man who is reasonably content with his life and has achieved material success, yet wonders what might have been when he picks up his old guitar. The message is one of taking chances to avoid later regrets. It’s a more upbeat song than the lyrics might suggest, and the prominent horns give it a soulful Little Steven feel. Blood Off Your Hands is slower, with layers of organ and piano parts. A strong vocal performance makes this song about lies very powerful.

Matter Of Love has more of a pop feel, a song about a relationship that is going nowhere, yet neither has the courage to leave. The harmony vocals on the chorus brighten a song with a slightly dark undertone. The EP’s closing track Have You Seen My Baby is a simple acoustic love song, with a much more country sound and lovely pedal steel guitar to add a Nashville twang.

The Blue Highways are clearly talented and this EP gives a taste of what they have to offer. The songwriting is tight and the instrumentation is well put together, Their energetic Americana based sound has all of the expected influences and the diversity of the four songs hints to a bright future for the band.

Release date: 23 August 2019

Label: self