Greenville singer-songwriter Benny Hagerty has crafted an impressive opening statement with his eight-track debut collection, ‘Hills & Highways’. Cut on Nashville’s famed Music Row at Sienna Studios under the guidance of producer Jess Savio, the record delivers an energetic, finely textured spin on traditional American roots music. Anchored by session players, steel-string acoustic arrangements, and Hagerty’s worn, gravelly vocal delivery, the album breathes genuine vitality into modern Americana without falling back on tired genre tropes.
Movement serves as the narrative engine driving the entire project. Rather than lingering on static themes, Hagerty uses highways, regional landmarks, and shifting life phases to construct vivid audio portraits. Nowhere is this clearer than on the standout track ‘Quittin Time’. Built around the uncomfortable transition between closing one chapter and venturing into the unknown, the single captures the precise, bittersweet weight of moving forward.
That sense of geography is equally potent on ‘Keowee Moon’, an infectious homage to Clemson, South Carolina, shaped by Hagerty’s frequent drives across state lines to visit family and friends. When he calls out, “I-85 take me home,” the concrete interstates feel less like cold tarmac and more like a lifeline back to familiar ground. Yet the record does not shy away from heavier, shadowy terrain. On ‘Devils Creek’, Hagerty tackles substance addiction through a striking extended metaphor, comparing the loss of control to stepping cautiously into moving water: “It starts with just my toes, then there my body goes, down Devils Creek I float.” It is a haunting moment of introspection that gives the album striking emotional weight.
If there is a minor flaw, it lies in the record’s brief runtime—at just eight tracks, including the previously released ‘Gamblin Blues’, listener craving for deeper, extended acoustic jams left slightly unfulfilled. Additionally, a few mid-album arrangements stick close to familiar roots blueprints. Nevertheless, the songcraft remains sharp throughout. Between reflective acoustic storytelling and vibrant full-band flourishes, Hagerty strikes an appealing balance that carries genuine charm from start to finish.
Having already taken these songs from South Carolina venues all the way up to New York City, he proves himself a compelling new voice on the East Coast circuit. ‘Hills & Highways’ marks the arrival of a storyteller with real miles under his belt and plenty of open road ahead.
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