Hilary Cousins has always carried himself like a songwriter who understands the weight of tradition but refuses to be shackled by it. With his newest single, “Road to Corinth”, he steps firmly into that lineage of indie folk-rock storytellers who draw from the past to illuminate something raw and present. What emerges is a track that is both timeless in its Americana roots and refreshingly bold in its construction.

The first thing that strikes you is the restraint. A lone, lilting electric guitar sets the stage, followed by the steady heartbeat of acoustic chords for that needed texture and depth. It’s deceptively simple, but like all great folk-rock, there’s power in the understatement. Cousins builds patiently, layering style in a way that feels organic and inevitable: drums that tumble and snap with Paul “Binzer” Brennan’s seasoned precision, the pulse of Tony Ungaro’s bass grounding the melody, and counter-melodies that weave through on guitars and keys like flickers of light cutting through fog. By the time the track reaches its climax, the sound is nothing short of commanding. Cousins’ voice soars above explosive drum fills and searing electric feedback, a moment of release that feels earned. At only around three minutes, the song packs a serious punch in its short time frame!

Part of what makes “Road to Corinth” so great though are its compositional choices. Instead of leaning on that played out formulaic pop rock chorus, Cousins opts for a “strophic” form, repeating a single verse melody with evolving lyrics. It’s a gutsy move that puts weight on the words, but he delivers. Drawing imagery from St. Paul’s famous letter to the Corinthians, Cousins uses spiritual language as a poetic mirror not to preach, but to frame universal questions of love, loss, and conviction. It’s an interpretation that’s both deeply personal and open enough to invite every listener in.

Of course, the sonic polish doesn’t hurt. With mixing handled by Mark Needham and Ben O’Neill and mastering from the legendary Sterling Sound duo Calbi/Fallone, the track carries the kind of studio clarity that gives Cousins’ raw emotion a sharp edge. Every guitar shimmer, every drum crash feels meticulously placed yet never sterile. In our opinion, listening on a nice pair of headphones is paramount to really experience the subtlety in the song.

At its heart, though, “Road to Corinth” is about Cousins himself. His voice commands the room considering it’s full of grit, conviction, and just enough ache to feel lived-in. Coupled with the Americana-leaning arrangement, it places him in the company of artists who have turned folk and indie rock into something filmesque.

This is Cousins at his most assured; a songwriter, producer, and performer rolling tradition forward on his own terms. If this just so happens to be your intro, we can’t think of a better jumping off point to peruse the rest of his discog. Go ahead and click those links below to listen in, follow along, and of course to stay tuned for more.

Listen to “Road to Corinth”
Spotify

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Hilary Cousins finds fire on the “Road to Corinth”