Words by: Julia Poholek

Albuquerque’s own Dust City Opera are far from ordinary – you could say that they’re out of this world. Taking us straight into the stratosphere, they’ve released their sophomore album, Alien Summer. The five-piece band fall into a yet-to-be-defined genre, somehow meshing elements of rock, goth, country, and grunge, fused with lyrics that inspire visions of theatrical steampunk mischief plopped onto an interplanetary backdrop. Maybe add a dash of circus to that sonic recipe. You know, just your average, run of the mill type of group.

These musical scoundrels surfaced in 2019 with their debut album, Heaven. Having come together the year prior, the group features Paul Hunton [vocals, guitar, songwriter], Clara Byom [clarinet, accordion, keys], Travis Rourk [trombone], Scott Brewer [bass], and Dave Purcell [drums]. Heaven aided in gaining a solid fan-base for the group — the same fan-base that would go on to raise $21,000 to support the production of the group’s sophomore album, Alien Summer. Undoubtedly, those who chipped in will feel proud to have been part of the story behind funding this piece. The album works like a patchwork quilt of different sonic elements that have all been pieced together into one cohesive, yet distinctly multi-faceted piece. It isn’t redundant in its themes, and each song is different than the next.

The leading single, “The Unkind,” just so happens to open the record. We first hear distorted dialogue that sounds like it’s being played backwards, before it bursts into a rousing drum beat and launches into powerful vocals. Paul Hunton says, “’The Unkind’ paints a picture of trees uprooting themselves over a Halloween dance vibe. They tear apart this town and murder everyone. It’s a killer plant race that comes out of hibernation once in a generation for a night of horror. They prey on humanity and go back to sleep.”

“The Unkind” is a solid, strong opener, clueing us in on just how hard these rascals can rock. This is reinforced in “Love of Mine,” which features a fast-paced rock tempo laced with a killer electric guitar solo from Hunton. Songs like “It” keep us on our toes with rockabilly riffs steeped in the hot waters of classic country. And remember the dash of circus that we threw into the recipe earlier? Well, you’ll find it in spades on “Keep Running,” where raunchy accordions go ballistic and cymbals ding with abandon.

Although this album goes hard on many tracks, it’s overflowing with a wealth of soft grooves and gentle lyrics that perfectly complement that aforementioned hardness. “Angie” gives us a love ballad as the fifth track – a moment wherein we can take stock of our emotions as we react to a powerful storyline. Paul elaborates: “It’s about a guy on his deathbed. He’s having a hallucinatory death trip. During the trip, he revisits parts of his life and walks through his memory. It’s all stripped away as he loses consciousness. He has the impression of a woman named Angie, but the memories have disappeared. He keeps looking for her, but she’s the last concrete impression to go. It’s goodbye.” In the song “You’ll Be Okay,” we’re ushered into a soft, lush world that functions almost as a soothing lullaby. It provides a grounding respite after such an active soundscape in the previous songs.

The titular track, “Alien Summer,” leaves absolutely nothing on the cutting room floor, and you can’t help but gawk at the breadth of sound that we’re gifted here. Similarly to songs like “Stars,” each player on the album is utilized in order to execute the theatrical motifs which the band puts forth. Hunton says, “‘Alien Summer’ is about inner-alien DNA waking up and ripping through your skin. While I was writing it, there was definitely a lot of anxiety in the air during 2020. It’s an escapist fantasy, but there’s a lot of tension. Lyrically, it’s another sci-fi horror story. Travis and Clara bring out an old-world vibe like they’re harking back to a Roma curse. They give the songs character.” Unique in its organized chaos, “Alien Summer” makes it halfway through the song before collapsing into a sudden, bleated yelp. Things go haywire immediately following this moment, as if there was an explosion in the warehouse (in this case, the recording studio). Each instrument is pushed to its furthest limit and sounds like it’s being broken up into fragments. We’re flung into space and unsure of how to come back down to Earth. Somehow, we’re thrown a life raft as the track manages to find a calming resolve, teleporting us back to reality with a harmonious drone.

Altogether, Dust City Opera’s Alien Summer is unlike anything you’ve listened to before — guaranteed. This band is innovative in its exploration of genre, completely unafraid to construct a musical fun house where nothing and everything makes sense. A breath of fresh air for those of us who’ve been stagnant in our listening habits. If you’re ready to hop onto a carnival ride in the depths of space, accompanied by songs that you’ll want to revisit for a long time to come, then Alien Summer is your ticket.

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