Garland Kelly continues to add varied and rich music to his ever-growing catalog of tunes. This time around, his usual rock sound is stripped down into a simplistic acoustic ballad that features a fresh and distinctive verse-chorus duality, a nuanced sound, and a characterful voice and words.
Nashville-based Garland Kelly is a singer/songwriter whose sound is mostly about Nashville staples, rock, and blues. Garland’s latest single sees him changing his direction and veering a little off the beaten path. ‘The Higher Road” is a delicate acoustic waltz that Kelly wrote around the time he was 16, suffering the ups and downs of his life’s first heartbreak, and for a 16-year-old, the lush acoustic arrangement, sweet lyrics, and restrained, musical vocal melodies are clear indicators of Garland’s honed skill as a songwriter.
The prominent guitars are trebly and bright, compressed, and percussive, double-tracked into a rich mix of healthy-sounding acoustics. Intricately strummed, the lines are arpeggiated and playful, and are accompanied by an understated and present vocal delivery from Garland. The wistful and introspective verses, written in a minor key are bluesy and soulful, and the timely lift to the relative major in the choruses sees an entire shift in the mood of the piece. The warm and sweet vocal harmonies on the choruses are a tasteful addition that set the chorus apart.
Garland Kelly just proved his proficiency in one more color of music, creating a piece of folk magic that’s at once introspective, serene, hopeful, and eloquent. The Higher Road is a beautiful piece of music that’s sure to propel Garland’s name as a songwriter to even higher places.