GENRE; Alternative Rock/ Rock N Roll/ Rock/  90’s Rock

RELEASE DATE; 03 February, 2026

RATING; 4/5

There’s something quietly confident about Image of Roads (Montana Mix), a track that feels lived-in rather than overworked. First released as an acoustic song in May 2025, Ben Heyworth clearly couldn’t let it rest. Instead of moving on, he chose to dig deeper, returning to the track with fresh perspective and trusted collaborators. Released on February 3, 2026, this version feels like the song finally reaching its natural destination—bigger, bolder, and far more restless.

Recorded at Blueprint Studios in Salford and produced by Gary Hadfield, the Montana Mix benefits hugely from the involvement of Minorplanet. The band brings weight and urgency to the arrangement without crowding the song. Image of Roads (Montana Mix) leans into themes of motion, distance, and mental drift. Lines like “fifty thousand and climbing, still we carry on driving” capture a sense of endless forward movement, while the intimacy of “you got your mind on the back seat, honey, let go” suggests emotional disconnection unfolding in real time. As the song progresses, Heyworth introduces more abstract ideas “illusionary contagion, caught in a simulation” blurring the line between reality and perception. The recurring question, “is this a 3-D export image of roads”, lands as both a visual and philosophical moment, reinforcing the track’s fascination with memory, distance, and the way modern life can feel oddly unreal even while constantly in motion. There’s a looseness to the performance that works in its favour: guitars bite, rhythms push and pull, and the whole track carries a sense of momentum that never quite settles.

The track draws from a wide pool of influences. You can hear echoes of open-road Americana woven through a distinctly British ’90s indie sensibility, all touched with subtle psychedelic colour. It feels familiar in tone yet unpredictable in direction, like a long drive where the route keeps changing. Heyworth’s songwriting remains the anchor, giving the song emotional clarity even as the band invites moments of chaos into the mix.

For listeners who have followed Heyworth’s journey, from his early work with Minorplanet to the experimental electronic releases under This Morning Call—this single feels like a meaningful step forward. Releasing music under his own name again, he sounds focused, assured, and creatively energised. Image of Roads (Montana Mix) doesn’t just revisit an earlier idea; it reshapes it into something stronger, pointing toward an exciting run of new material expected throughout 2026 and beyond.

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