Promising and eclectic

New Mexico’s rock group, Dust City Opera, has released their sophomore album entitled Alien Summer. The 12-track album follows the group’s 2019 debut album, Heaven. The forward-thinking band worked alongside producer Matthew Tobias on this release, though they also received help from fans through a crowdfunding campaign to make the record possible. Alien Summer centralizes in an Americana quality and can be categorized as a gothic country album with dark-humored lyrics.

In this eclectic sextet, Dust City Opera is composed of vocalist and guitarist Paul Hunton, keys and clarinet player Clara Byom, trombone player Travis Rourk, bassist Scott Brewer and drummer Dave Purcell. The band is known to blend different genres such as grunge, folk, gothic country and much more; though, the band refers to themselves as a gothic grunge orchestra.

The otherworldly album kicks off with “The Unkind,” a track that begins with a slow recording played backward sounding with a demonic voice. The track sets the tone for the album as many of the tracks centralize in a spooky horror vibe. Byom’s electric organ adds a certain texture to the song and is matched with the same level of intensity by Rourk’s trombone.

The album takes a sharp turn to a country-pop sound with “Days When” and “The Fog.” Hunton’s soft vocals are beautifully matched by clarinets and trombones through the eerie distortions at the end of “The Fog.” Nearly ruining the track in what appears to be a desperate attempt to backtrack to the album’s dark theme. “Angie” carries a ’90s soft rock beat and is matched with lyrics that describe the final memories of a dying man. “Keep Running” contains incredible blue rock guitar riffs and oddly works with an accordion and trombone within the mix. The title track, “Alien Summer” sums up Dust City Opera’s unique style as it constantly changes, never settling for a single beat. The track begins with a country vibe and quickly is transformed by a clarinet turning into a wild goose chase; eventually ending with a jazz sound with the addition of the trombone.

It is clear that Dust City Opera is attempting to create a unique sound with unconventional instruments for the rock genre, but Alien Summer simply does not deserve to be labeled rock in any sort of way. Dust City Opera may have potentially created their own genre with Alien Summer, though it is such a different sound that it’s something one needs to get used to.