No matter what he does, it seems that whatever project Dustin Kensrue touches turns to gold. Whether it be the post hardcore turned contemporary rock behemoth that is Thrice, or his buttermilk-smooth singer-songwriter solo material, his vocal melodies and heartfelt lyricism always seem to land perfectly on the ears, filled with a deep richness and beautiful tones. The past few Thrice records alone have been some of the best rock music of the past decade, but that isn’t all Kensrue has to offer; with his 2024 solo LP Desert Dreaming, it seems Kensrue is dipping his toes into the hot springs of old school western country music. It’s certainly an out there choice, and begs the question—will Dustin Kensrue land on his feet with this new style trial? Spoiler alert: of course he does.
Death Valley Honeymoon calls in the sunrise for this magnificent record, embracing the listener with plucky, tremolo-filled guitars and live bar band-esque reverb tinged vocal passages. The song is as gorgeous as it is endearing, showcasing a beautifully-executed lovebird duet over a snappy country instrumental. Kensrue hits his stride quickly on this LP; you will find no growing pains here. Treasure In The West then features one of the album’s most superb choruses, capturing that true country-western cowboy vibe. The song makes you want to take up horseback and ride across the sands, dodging cactuses and rattlesnakes in search of an X in the sand.
The thing that Desert Dreaming most has going for it is the overwhelming amount of passion that you can immediately feel was poured into this thing. You can instantly tell that all of those who were involved with the project had a ton of fun making it, and that shines through strongly in the music.
The Heart Of Sedona transports the album into a more nostalgic setting, leaving you wanting to call home and tell them you’re coming for a visit. Musically, this cut has a ‘roll the windows down and go for a cruise’ tone that keeps you hitting that replay button over and over until it breaks.
The album is perfectly wholesome in mood, with the lyrics seeming less like they’re coming from an actual cowboy, and more like they’re coming from a child who dreams of being a cowboy. This is easily reflected on wooden floor-stompers such as Leaving Tonight For Santa Fe, with its giant, singalong chorus and upbeat, bright guitars. Elsewhere The Light Of The Moon shines a beautifully elegant perspective on death and the loss of a loved one, with lines like “the light of the moon is the sun, and only in darkness it shines” truly leaving a mark on me. The song paints a beautiful picture of what is otherwise a somber and depressing topic, trading grief for the preservation of life through memory.
Western Skies is the ballad of the album, and it’s an excellent one at that. The song slowly crescendos from light plucks into gorgeous strums and intimate vocal passages, with a wonderfully minimalistic instrumental that really lets the vocals take the reins.
However, despite hitting the nail on the head on nearly every horizon, there are a couple of songs on here that just aren’t quite as memorable as others. High Scalers goes in one ear and out the other, especially being surrounded by two of the best songs that the record has to offer. There just isn’t that single jaw dropping moment that keeps you coming back to this one, as there is on other tracks. Sage & Lilac suffers a similar fate, despite having a beautiful song title. The songs instrumental picks up the pace a tad, but there just isn’t much to chew on with this cut in particular.
However, despite the few hiccups, it seems that Dustin Kensrue has outputted yet another gold nugget for us to sift out of the sand with Desert Dreaming. It’s a wonderfully easy and fun listen, being light as a feather on the ears and full to the brim with brightness and life.
For fans of: yeehaw
‘Desert Dreaming’ by Dustin Kensrue is out now.
Words by Hunter Hewgley
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