Engaging with a heavy-rocking sound that explores the trials of recovery and perseverance, This Long Road is the striking new album from Deully, the project of Darren Sawrenko. “I named the album This Long Road as a reminder to myself that it will in fact be a long road to a full recovery,” the Saskatchewan, Canada-based artist explains.
A heavy alt-rock vigor takes hold on the opening “One Step Behind,” beckoning to leave behind the “ones who let you down.” The vocal catharsis — “the scars you have will never heal,” — leads a riveting production that kicks off the release’s thematic prowess in captivating form. References to personal healing/recovery, and the feeling of being “one step behind,” compel with sincere ardency.
“Save My Life” follows with a plea for unity and emphasizing the power of relationships during difficult times. “Save my life, and I’ll do the same for you,” the vocals let out amidst slabs of pulsing guitar distortion. While the album’s first two tracks present an onslaught of directness, “Broken Wings” builds with a steadier momentum. “We can take on the world,” the vocals aspire, expressing a new-found confidence in persevering and now attaining a sense of triumphant confidence.
The album’s title track is another standout. “Darkness weighs you down, there is a glimmer of hope just within your reach,” Sawrenko fervently conveys, again capturing a sense of wading through hardships in search of that brightness, as elusive as it may seem. Impassioned vocals and distortion-heavy guitar tones again impress, and that tonal ferocity rarely lets up throughout This Long Road.
An exception comes in the beginning of “Tonight I Say Goodbye,” where emotive piano-laden balladry ventures into lyrical reflections of a goodbye’s bitter impact. “And now I’m alone again, just fading away,” the vocals creak out, rousing into an affecting title-referencing hook. This Long Road is a compelling, emotively sincere success from Deully.
