Behind every great country artist is a song about hitting the road. Johnny Cash has “I’ve Been Everywhere”, Merle Haggard has “White Line Fever”, and, of course, Willie Nelson has “On the Road Again” under his hat. In a sense, Nashville’s Ross Cooper is following tradition with “Lady of the Highway”. Meanwhile, the cowboy-turned-music artist is carving his path forward on the Americana circuit.
Sonically, Cooper doesn’t ramble like Cash’s road anthem, nor does he really intend to soar like Willie Nelson. He doesn’t quite trudge through the swamps either. “Lady of the Highway” is a brisk, but mellow and an emotional, but comforting tune with a heart all its own. Cooper shows his storyteller’s chops off on the track here beside his ability to front a band. It’s no wonder why many are pegging him as one of the top dogs in Nashville to look out for these days.