“Likethelast” wastes no time reminding the listener that rock music has never been a fixed location—it’s a vast, shifting landscape with blurred borders and secret passageways. From the moment the track begins its sonic journey, Highroad No. 28 makes it clear that this is not a song interested in staying inside neat genre lines. While its foundations are unmistakably rooted in rock and indie-rock, the song quickly reveals a broader, more adventurous palette. It feels like an invitation to zoom out and reassess the so-called rock enclave as something expansive and eclectic, rather than rigid or predictable. In a musical era increasingly defined by post-genre freedom, “Likethelast” stands as a reminder that the most exciting music often emerges where rules are treated as optional suggestions.
That sense of creative freedom is at the very core of the track’s identity. Highroad No. 28 leans fully into the idea that unexpected blends are not distractions but lifelines for modern music. “Likethelast” unfolds as a series of bold, intuitive decisions rather than a formula to be reverse-engineered. Angular, off-beat guitar rhythms flirt with ska-infused swagger, adding a jaunty tension that contrasts beautifully with the song’s more introspective undercurrent. Hushed, harmonised vocals—closer in spirit to pop than traditional rock—float above the instrumentation, offering moments of calm and vulnerability. Then, just as the listener thinks they’ve found their footing, the track veers into a rap-speak interlude, a left turn that feels daring rather than gimmicky. It’s this refusal to be second-guessable that gives “Likethelast” its pulse; the song constantly keeps you alert, curious, and emotionally engaged.
As the closing track on the band’s forthcoming third album, The Will to Endure, “Likethelast” feels especially significant. There’s a sense of reflection embedded in its structure, as though Highroad No. 28 are taking stock of where they’ve been while deliberately pointing toward where they’re heading next. This is a more refined and introspective version of their alternative rock sound, one that favours atmosphere and emotional tension over sheer volume or aggression. Recorded at Sing Sing Recording Studios in Melbourne and shaped further through the mixing of James Taplin and the mastering of Rafael Golazzi, the track benefits from a polished yet organic production. Big bass lines anchor the song, chopping guitars add urgency and texture, and layered melodies weave everything together without overcrowding the mix. Every element has room to breathe, reinforcing the song’s sense of restraint and emotional clarity.
The final stretch of “Likethelast” is where its artistry truly settles in. As echoes linger and the arrangement opens into something almost abstract, the track feels less like a conclusion and more like a quiet exhale after endurance. Lyrical vulnerability rises to the surface here, making this one of the album’s most emotionally direct moments. Rather than chasing a dramatic climax, Highroad No. 28 allow the song to resolve in its own strange, thoughtful way—an ending that feels earned rather than imposed. In doing so, they underline what makes them such a compelling band: a willingness to embrace the odd, the eclectic, and the emotionally honest. “Likethelast” encapsulates a philosophy. It suggests that survival in music, much like life, depends on curiosity, adaptability, and the courage to wander off the well-lit path.
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