Honestly, we should have seen this turn coming from Dustin a long time ago. He’s never kept his love of country western music that hidden. His solo output has always leaned toward folk and country, but even before that, he was slipping bits of roots music into Thrice songs as early as Illusion of Safety.

But on Desert Dreaming, he’s fully committed to the bit—even in terms of his live show attire. And let’s be clear: if you announce a country record and start sauntering out in cowboy garb, you better be able to back it up. Lucky for everybody, Dustin’s up to the task.

Like Nashville Skyline era Bob Dylan before him, Kensrue walks the line between gimmick and authenticity like a tightrope walker. It’s a costume, to be sure, but that costume becomes a sort of fixture for all of the honest and excellent songs he plays here. The record conjures up images of ghost towns, saloons, and lone riders across the horizon, but they’re not just aesthetic. Masterful storyteller that he is, Dustin manages to find rich emotional narratives amid the archetypes. And with songs as strong as “High Scalers” and “The Heart of Sedona,” it’s easy to see how well it works.