Bringing out an opening acoustic driven folk melody that feels innately storybook in its mood, Garland Kelley transports you to his own world of melodic folk rock with a strange combination of vibrancy and melancholy on “The Higher Road” even if the subject matter might be a fair ways more dark and morose.
Kelley has penned down a poignant and introspective track that captures the emotional journey of relationships and maturity in understanding the real depth of it all. The lyrics showcase a duality of mournful beauty and bright hopefulness that speaks to the universal experience of figuring out that journey as our life moves forward.
It’s able to capture that strange bittersweet nature so exquisitely, perfectly describing the pain of the difficult moments while also retaining a hopefulness for a better tomorrow in spite of it all.
“Love is eternal, of this I am sure”, “We will take the higher road, takes much longer but it’s lovely I’m told”. With lines like these, it’s clear that Kelley’s penchant for song-writing balances effortless simplicity with much deeper emotionality.
A wonderful modern folk piece.