Showcasing high energy guitars and an organically authentic drum-line, “The Long Road” is a slow yet emotionally warming rock single by “Animal Steel” that presents the Sightline Heights sound and songwriting style in a bold way.
The melody and the tone of the leading voice are the first elements to really reach out, these drive the key characteristics of the song and lay bare its underlying concept in a fairly distinct way. Later on, as the music progresses, the instrumentation starts to take more of a front-line position. The track plays out for close to five and a forty nine minutes, and from a composition perspective – the time has been utilized creatively and the soundscape built up in an effectively soft-rock manner.
As the song emerges, the whole thing quickly feels like a consciously crafted piece of music, offering up immediately characterful riffs that are short lived yet repeated enough times to make certain you associate them with the awesome sound. In addition, the drum beat has a certain thickness and energy to it that stands out quite significantly – feeling almost like the interim or fill extended across the whole track, giving it a further touch of vibrancy and personality. On top of all of this is the song’s melody and the delivery of this from the musician’s leading vocalist. The lyrics undoubtedly lean in something of a rock direction, though the melody bends itself in a way that brings in that accessible touch of pop, allowing the artist to potentially reach a wider audience with their music.
Animal Steel has a certain way with music production that really utilizes time. That is to say, this is an ambient, atmospheric piece of immersive escapism, and every detail has been thoughtfully incorporated so as to build precisely that sort of soundscape around you. At the same time, the music is multi-layered, expressive, cinematic to an extent – rather than simply calming you, it offers plenty in the way of complexity and scattered elements that hold tight to your attention.
The awesome voice delivers the song flawlessly. There’s a lot of space on the single, the lyrics aren’t overloaded, the soundscape is somewhat subtle and well placed, so you notice the lyrics and particularly the change to the hook section. The song feels stylish in its entirety, thoughtfully put together and structured so as to let you get lost in the vibe but simultaneously distinguish pretty clearly between the various moments. Every musician involved gets their moment to shine, though at the same time, Animal Steel seems musically well united, so the sound is very polished. The concept takes a little that is vague and a little that is personal and creates something fairly easy to access. It works well.
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