Sarah Shook’s voice demands your attention. The first time I heard “Nothin’ Feels Right But Doin’ Wrong,” (from the debut Sidelong record in 2017) it turned my head around. The combination of raw energy and punk attitude, coupled with the Disarmers’ lean approach to drum-forward, guitar-heavy country had me hooked. Now they’re back with their third album and it is going to be a game-changer.

Producer Pete Anderson is best known for his work with launching Dwight Yoakam’s career using a fresh sound of twangy guitars and a rock n’ roll approach. That same sensibility serves this Nightroamer album (released 2/18/22 on Thirty Tigers) quite well. The sound of the new record softens some of the rougher edges of both the band and Shook’s vocals while maintaining the same energy and attitude of the previous releases. The Disarmers’ core lineup stays the same with Eric Peterson on guitar, Aaron Oliva on upright bass, and drummer Will Rigby, but now adds pedal steel ace Phil Sullivan and the results are fantastic. The ten songs are all written by Shook and continues their tradition of solid lyrics with a message that encourages you to see another side without beating you over the head. The band keeps things interesting with appropriate accompaniment; they rock when needed and can serve up some serious country as well, with the tracks being divided equally.

Each of the rockers have the snap of Foster’s tenor drum right up front and Peterson’s electric guitar driving the tracks. Check out “Talkin’ to Myself,” “I Got This,” and “Been Lovin’ You” for some excellent garage rock. “Somebody Else” opens the record and sets the stage for the rest of the album. It’s a mid-tempo rocker with a message. “I was in a series of monogamous relationships that were incredibly unhealthy, emotionally and verbally abusive,” says Shook. “I had a revelation about myself, but I also had a revelation about abusers and how abusers operate. There’s kind of a double meaning in that song: If it’s not you, that person is going to find somebody else to abuse. And also, I realized my own pattern: If I’m not choosing this person to have a toxic relationship with, it’s going to be somebody else.”

The pedal steel of Kurtz is featured effectively in the more country-leaning songs such as “Please Be a Stranger,” “No Mistakes,” the title track, “Nightroamer,” and “It Doesn’t Change Anything.” Shook’s favorite song on the record is “If It’s Poison,” with a classic slow-dance tempo and a message of hope. “Music can be so healing,” they say, “I don’t know how people cope without having some kind of creative outlet for all the crazy things that happen to us.”

With Nightroamer, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers have delivered an outstanding collection of songs that will satisfy fans of their earlier work while introducing the band to a much bigger audience craving an authentic sound that is equal parts country and rock but distinctively their own. This is a band that must be seen live to fully appreciate and an extensive tour opening in Shook’s home state of North Carolina will light the fuse to what promises to be a big bang this year.

Find out more about Sarah Shook and the Disarmers here: