Several times during Lent’s debut ep Naked Friendship you may ask yourself, “Is this the same band?” Ofer the course of four songs and three interludes, the group alights upon multiple genres held together by the sturdiness of their propulsive rhythm section and the collective commitment to windswept excellence. Somehow coalescing into a cohesive whole, Naked Friendship is a wondrous and transporting listen.

Leadoff track “Hardwired” is a straightforward driving punk anthem that belies the band’s Americana tendencies with flourishes of jam-band guitar revelry. Clean-toned guitar leads weaving atop a propulsive foundation and barked lyricism make for a fascinating juxtaposition, like Television playing Farm Aid.  The first of the album’s instrumental segue, “Nowz the Time,” completely abandons the expectations set by the opener. A quick tricky time signature riff opens into a slightly discordant synth-based waltz that feels like cresting a mountain pass and seeing an uncanny valley open before you. It’s a little weightless, a little unsettling, a little thrilling.

Then comes “3 Fake Girlfriends,” a lighthearted punkabilly banger that would make the Supersuckers proud. Sans twang, it comes off like one of Rocket from the Crypt’s more whimsical stompers. Hilarious lyrics define this quick tune. Its muscular levity keeps it consistent with the rest of the record despite the massive increase in bpms.

The second interlude, simply titled “Poppy Interlude,” is an anthemic and pastoral soundscape. Mostly a sketch of cool chord changes and odd times, it sounds like it could be fleshed out and turned into an actual song with a vocal melody and some subsequent parts. As a segue, it serves nicely to introduce a more consistent mode of the back half of the EP. From here on out, the songs operate in in Lent’s sweet spot of dreamy propulsion.

“Sharpening my Sharpest Blade” operates within the Arcade Fire/Bright Eyes brand of emoricana (is that a genre?), largely defined by a steady dynamic that lulls with its thunderous progress, like the clack-clacking of a freight train. It’s epic and sweeping, but immediate and unsettling. This song in particular showcases how the basswork adds a perfect element of melodic nuance to the rhythm section and helps define the complexity of the guitars’ progressions.  

The final interlude, “Come Together for Shrovetide” opens with electronic drums that give way to swarms of delay-drenched leads and emotive acoustic guitar, setting the stage for the closing track  “Nature.” A perfect summation of Lent’s sound, “Nature” sits neatly between “Sharpening” and “Hardwired,” bridging the gap between pastoral and urban. It’s punk with a panoramic view, keeping a finger on Americana as though plucking a wire fence along the shoulder of an empty road to nowhere and letting the thrum determine the key.

Whatever genre Lent leans toward, you can tell they’re leaning forward. There’s an intentionality behind every choice, from the genre to the songwriting to tone to the production. The sounds, the mix, and the balance all underscore and lift up the band’s identity of merging urgency with space. The sonic palette of the album is mirrored by the sequencing: alternating songs with instrumental interludes, which are somehow equally engaging: both the clearly defined and the merely suggested are equally important to the whole, and all of it is happening right this minute.