Depending on your taste in music, Tom Petty is usually a hit-or-miss artist, and that is open to the listener’s opinion. His release, Highway Companion, is no different.
For those of you who are fans, though it won’t seem like his most accomplished release, it is something that will get your attention. It’s presented in Petty’s trademark bluesy, folk-rock style that fans know and love. The lyrics have something that is rare in music nowadays. The lyrics are also easily relatable. There is one common theme among the songs and that is travel.
There was the common theme of travel. This doesn’t mean point A to point B. This gets a little more complicated than that. There is running away from memories. There is running back to the one(s) who matter most to you. There is searching for yourself out on the road, among many other examples. There is also a strong opening song, “Saving Grace,” about traveling to find the means not only to redemption but to finding yourself.
These are obviously relatable because at one time or another we all go through it. People always are running from something, toward something, take detours and the scenic route or take a shortcut throughout their path in life. It is about life itself. It is a great work of poetic, lyrical art.
While it might not hold the simplicity of songs like “Free Falling” or the complexity of songs like “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” it has found the healthy middle ground between the two levels. It is still the musical landscaping that one would be expectant of with a Tom Petty album. It might not always have the same punch but it is still that sound and style his fans have grown to know and love.
This album is a must-have album of deceptive worth. This just means it is a must-have because it actually makes you listen a couple of times to truly appreciate what is said lyrically and what is played musically.