I’m sure there have already been more than a few pandemic records released in the last year or so, but the Deslondes’ Ways and Means is the first one I have heard that reframes the band’s musical style while reflecting on the past two-plus years.

Sam Doores has the highest public profile of the five band members, but each of the other members, Dan Cutler, Riley Downing, Cameron Snyder and John James Tourville, contribute to the album. They have created a collection that is cohesive while also demonstrating each band member’s individual strengths.

The title cut just rocks with a groove that refutes the bleak memory of the protagonist. “You got ways and means /you never say what you mean. You never tell ’em where you been. Have you gone too far? Forgotten who you are? You had hopes and dreams. You lived your life to fast. Now the good times are past.”

Riley Downing’s “South Dakota Wild One” is another standout track. His gravelly voice is perfectly suited to a song about a girl who grew up on a “hippie farm” outside a small town. “Standing Still” is a psychedelic ballad with lyrics metaphorically recalling a cassette player: “There’s no rewind down here, stop and eject, hope the parachute’s been checked.” At a couple of points in the cut, circus music intersects the reverie.

I wouldn’t call the album a reinvention; it’s more like a continuation. But the band has expanded the toolbox beyond what they have used in the past, including bringing in a drum kit for the first time as well as strings and a flute. You can’t pigeonhole this album as “country.”

The group vocals on “Sweet Release” demonstrate the camaraderie between these five artists maturing into their full musical selves. The arrangements on the album showcase a band reaching its creative peak. They are willing to stretch beyond what they accomplished before without relying on the same old formula.