What’s in a label? The press kit for This Time of Year by Chicago’s Truth or Consequences New Mexico (confusing, I know) described them primarily as alt-country. It was certainly enough to grab my interest. But as I listened to “Honey, We’re in Hell,” I couldn’t help but be reminded of the noisy emo-folk of Mansion. By my own admission, this is a good comparison. But the reality is that Truth or Consequences New Mexico are hard to pin. Slide guitar and crescendos weave together seamlessly, while delay trails paint the tracks with lush hues. There’s enough there that the alt-country label might be warranted, but let’s not sell the band short.

Alt-country can be hit or miss, but it’s certainly something that’s grown on me the past few years. There an emotional intensity in all genres centered on somber lyricism, and it just so happens that the power chords of punk and the cowboy chords of folk both manage to streamline that emotional intensity into a somewhat-simpler end result. It’d only make sense then that we’d end with a horseshoe theory of musical construction, and bands like Uncle Tupelo, Red House Painters, Pinegrove, and Lucero have all had their takes on which elements of rock and folk-based genres they’d want to highlight most.

Truth or Consequences New Mexico doesn’t necessarily continue in the footsteps of any of these artists; they seem to have naturally arrived where they are, and it just so happens there are other bands which might loosely be described as musical compatriots. There are elements of country in TCNM’s music, however: sometimes, a bit of vocal twang or certain types of instruments and melodies. But the comparisons to the aforementioned acts are dispelled quickly when considering the male/female vocal tradeoffs, palm muted guitar, punchy bass, and precise drumming. Maybe, just maybe, you could argue they’re like an edgier version of Frontier Ruckus. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. This band is onto something.

Their newest effort is a set of five tracks which manage to concisely introduce listeners to the group’s songwriting chops. Jack Parker takes lead on “Between GA” and the aforementioned “Honey, We’re in Hell”. Cora Pancoast’s vocals grace the remaining three songs to powerful effect. That said, Parker’s voice undeniably feels more powerful and I tend to be prefer the songs he fronts more. This has been the case for pretty much every album I’ve heard with multiple lead vocalists, and it’s a built in risk for any band who might choose to go this route. The EP’s short concise format only magnifies the switch between vocalists. Pancoast nonetheless delivers her lines and lyrics effortlessly and she’s earned her place leading her tracks. And Parker still contributes some backing vocals, be it harmonies or added quips.

Ultimately, This Time of Year is a strong effort and shows a good mix of folk elements intertwined with unashamed rock energy. The main limiting factor again is the number of songs. I’d love to hear more from Parker or see the band lean even more into their heavier and softer sides alike. There are a fair number of good ideas at play, but, much like the word count of a short story, the band is only able to fit in so much. Nonetheless, they’ve captured my attention and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what comes next.