I was a big fan of their 2019 album, and this time around it feels like a heavier sound, though sticking to the honest plea of country-inflected vocals even amid guitars crunching around them. There is more boogie in the shuffle of "The Traveller". More layers of vocals harmonize to give things a more jammy prog feel. It almost feels more like Porcupine Tree. Heavier rock chords are crashing over the laid-back vocals of "The Cloth," which is a juxtaposition that works well to create dynamic songwriting that takes a few listens to absorb everything going on.
There is a more harding rocking country feel to "Dig My Heels" which finds a very country vocal melody being chased by more aggressive guitars. This is done in a very unique manner, making it the album's best song so far. If they had gone just straight country, it would have felt like Tyler Childers and not as effective since we already have a Tyler Childers in the world. It does take some twists and turns ends up in a more grandiose doomier stomp.
"Unwound" is more aligned with their proggy metal side, though not due to any excess of aptitude, but more the layers of sound the song is built on. They do jam out on the atmosphere midway through things. The guitar solos are very tasteful with layering of melody and sonics over shredding. The guitar solo does take a more direction, rock approach on the more elegant "Long Lost Light".
There is more of a Wild Western feel to the last song than country. The vocals do not have a twang as they are belted out with a reflective tone. As the song unfolds, you hear the original manner in which they entwine the rock sound with the more pastoral textures before bringing a harder crunch, to keep the ebb and flow on the unexpected edge. I will give this one a 9.5. Sometimes, things are so heavily layered that you have to get a few listens in to fully grasp it, but when you do, it proves rewarding. August 22nd on Season of Mist
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