Just The Beginning: Highway Terrier and Their Debut EP
EP Review ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites★ 3 Minutes
It’s not often I get to work with what I like to call “Repeat Offenders”. No, not criminals with a decorative history but artists who continue to reach out not only to support this project but also to work with me again. When I’m able to reconnect with these artists over new material, it becomes the highlight of my day. That brings me to Highway Terrier.
Founded by guitarist and songwriter Ben Sherstinsky, the band from the Davis, California area is back and better than ever. Apart from Sherstinsky, Highway Terrier’s current LIVE lineup is composed of lead singer Joshua Levi and bassist Sophie Aleksandrovich.
Please note that the live lineup differs from the in-studio one.On August 7th, the four piece dropped their debut EP: The Beginning.
Highway Terrier via Rockin Ryan Stephen RichardsonThe Beginning is compiled of 4 songs including the group’s previous stand-out singles Walking Weapon and Covid Blues. Both of which, we’ve reviewed in the past in great detail (read Walking Weapon’s here and Covid Blues’ here). Due to this, I’d like to focus on the underdogs within The Beginning: Ratatouille and Wind Creek.
“I had been noodling on my guitar for years, and this was a fitting moment to translate that into the studio. This particular arrangement of blues-rock licks felt right, striking a balance between improvisation and structure. It's an ‘organized chaos’, like the ratatouille dish in how the presentation of all the ingredients may appear as a swirl of so MUCH, yet upon closer look a concrete form takes shape. Enjoy this plate of Ratatouille.” says Sherstinsky about the opening track.
Organized chaos it is indeed. Ratatouille is Highway Terrier’s version of Van Halen’s Eruption: short, electric, instrumental, and utterly insane. Sherstinsky pulls out several tricks that are bluesy albeit impulsive in nature and it serves as a wild barrier that separates Walking Weapon from Covid Blues.
Wind Creek, fairly enough, was released as a single just a few weeks ago to ruffle Highway Terrier fans’ feathers in anticipation for the ultimate EP release. It closes out the record and rather brilliantly at that.
“With the sounds of Davis, California nature filling the recording, Highway Terrier seek to add a new level of atmosphere and intimacy. In this track, (we) expand (our) sound with the addition of keyboards, strings, and even a flute.” The band notes about Wind Creek and its experimentation. “In addition to recording electric and acoustic, guitarist and bandleader Ben Sherstinsky took on the roles of drums and violins, collaborating with several Davis and Bay Area musicians and engineers to make the project happen. Among these are co-writer Elizabeth Paul and lead vocalist for the track Kelly May, whose intimate vocals enhance the reflective experience of the song, and with a flare of jazz. And Jonah Kalmar on bass, who was the band’s bassist in their 2025 shows.”
Wind Creek gives listeners a run for their money. Never in my 22 years of overly consuming music have I ever found a song that has obvious influences from both metal and folk until now. The piece itself is a whimsical take on everything going right with modern rock n’ roll, reminding me of elements utilized in The Driver Era’s Welcome to the End of Your Life and Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan. It’s poetic in terms of sound and blooms like a flower around the halfway point, exploding into a fully fleshed-out anthem that’s rooted in the sounds of Mother Nature and a dancy bassline.
The folky influences are just as clear as the rock and metal ones. I couldn’t help but compare it to the works of America and Jethro Tull, especially once the flute hits in the second act. Again, it’s whimsical, belonging in a soundtrack to the likes of The Last Unicorn (1982) or The Hobbit (1977). The blend of these genres works together quite beautifully and it’s quite the lovely closer to such a short lived album.
The Beginning really is just the beginning for Highway Terrier. A phenomenal title indeed, the debut EP stands tall as an eclectic, magical introduction to a career that will hopefully expand beyond the Davis area.
The Beginning is out now wherever you find music.
