Search - Highway 9 :: What in Samhill

Few bands could get away with "Sadly, our song is on the radio" as a song?s chorus--in a less accomplished band?s repertoire, the line would nearly scream for snide agreement from all the sarcastic wits listening. Instead, Highway 9?s What in Samhill pulls off the almost impossible: it silences any opposition with tough, finely crafted, melodic songs that fit together seamlessly and stand solidly on their own. The five-man band, formerly known as Samhill, changed their name to give homage to their Jersey roots. And indeed, the geography of sound first mapped out by blue-collar legend Bruce Springsteen is expertly traveled on this release. Peter Scherer?s voice is a lead to be reckoned with, beautifully conjuring the Eagles? best harmonies. But after a few listens, it is Gordon Brown?s songwriting that?s most striking. Whether in "Heroine," an aching portrait of a son?s difficult love for his mother, or the love-gone-bad "Tug of War" ("I?m no winner, and she?s no reward"), the songs resist relying on attitude or bravado. Instead, they possess the marked confidence of having scraped through hard times and survived, with a story to tell. --Laura Etling