The highway theme running through Sister Hazel’s eighth studio album suits these veteran road warriors. After 17 years together, they know the ups and downs of being a full-time touring unit, and their intimacy with the subject makes for a strong set of songs. Establishing this lyrical narrative to focus on gives them plenty of room to do what they do best, which is to craft catchy, hook-filled roots-rock with a subtle Southern twang. All five members wrote songs for the album, which includes a mix of rockers (“Great Escape,” “She’s Got a Hold On Me”), touching mid-tempo numbers (“Far Away,” “At Your Worst”), and gentle ballads (“The Saddest Song”) that touch on a range of emotions. Perhaps the most interesting and ambitious songs on Heartland Highway are the closing-song trilogy “Lessons In Love, Hope, and Faith,” parts 1-3, in which they look honestly and openly at what it means to be separated from family while out doing what you love. Their ability to grow and mature without falling prey to predictability is admirable. Loyal Hazelnuts should enjoy the ride along the Heartland Highway.