When Holy Moly began working on the follow-up to their award-winning Grasshopper Cowpunk in early 2013 it became immediately obvious that this album would be different than the previous four. After years of penning fun, silly odes to werewolves, alcohol, and facial hair, songwriters Joe Rose and Danny Weaver found they had something more serious to say. Some might call it maturity, but it was really confidence—confidence in the songwriting, the arrangements, and the band’s ability to embrace more traditional country sounds in addition to in-your-face cowpunk. Joe Rose’s signature storytelling lyrics detail the twists and turns of his tumultuous life in “John Wayne,” and the emotionally raw “Linger On” tells a true story of heartbreaking loss. On “Forge On” and “I Love You” Holy Moly embraces their country heritage, delivering songs primed for both country radio and dancehalls throughout Texas. “The Ballad of Norman Collins” mixes orchestral percussion, bowed bass, and the true story of the man known as Sailor Jerry. The lush string arrangements and soaring pedal steel of “Cocaine” and the beautiful simplicity of “Gilbert” showcase that Holy Moly is capable of much more than causing the first mosh pit ever to occur on the Billy Bob’s Honky Tonk stage. That’s not to say that Holy Moly has abandoned their rowdy side. “Time Travelin’” is an energetic Holy Moly anthem about drinkin’ in their signature classic style, and “All That I’m Not” builds from a soft acoustic intro into a chorus punctuated by a barrage of thundering double bass drums. Album closer “Lost My Mind” is a tour de force for double bassist Jeremy Hull and drummer Joseph Carpenter (who recently earned his master’s degree in drumset) in which the two skilled musicians cut loose. And throughout the album newest member Ben Roi Herring contributes sweet pedal steel swells, organ, piano, and backing vocals that fill out the sonic spectrum.