In the interest of full disclosure, I must say I attended Ha Ha Tonka’s CD release party for Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South while on the clock as a representative for the alt country band’s tour sponsor. That said, the only thing that stood on the porch with a .22 caliber rifle and forced me to review the album for Cheeky was the music itself.

Ha Ha Tonka hails from Springfield, MO, but boasts a strong Chicago following. A few band members live in the Windy City, and Novel Sounds marks the outfit’s second release from the Chicago-based Bloodshot Records label. So it’s no wonder that the high energy CD release show at Schubas last week had a hometown feel.

The foursome managed to share much of the delicate, thoughtful work on Novel Sounds without ever causing that dreaded new-quiet-material lull in the evening. Lead singer Brian Roberts even went so far as to thank the packed house for their patience with “the slow stuff.” Such humility wasn’t necessary, as the crowd remained rapt for all kinds of material. “St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor”, off the band’s first Bloodshot album, Buckle in the Bible Belt, had fans jumping and singing along. An a capella rendition of the traditional “Gallows Pole” sent chills through the room.

Ha Ha Tonka’s diverse live show reflects the varied, nuanced material on Novel Sounds. The short and powerful “Pendergast Machine” starts things off, with dark guitar chords that conjure up an ominous truck ride on a hazy desert road. Roberts’ textured, soulful vocals cry out “You don’t know your own strength” with a sincerity that hooks us in. The lyrics “Novel sounds of the nouveau south, worked their way throughout the crowd and just when I had given up, but I would do my best not to deconstruct myself too much” aptly preview many traits of the album: introspection, southern-rock influence, social commentary and a decided lack of pretense.

Next, “Hold My Feet to the Fire” kicks in with its big, anthem-like chorus. A strong stand out, this track travels between sweetly picked guitar and full-band outbursts. From there on, the variety continues with creative twists and turns. “Horse in Motion” creates a driving intensity, with wailing guitar and marching percussion. “Walking on the Devil’s Backbone” gets more playfully country.

Fans of the accessible, “foot stompin’” sound of Buckle In The Bible Belt should find plenty of that same energy here. At the same time, it’s nice to see a band pushing the envelope with riskier material and time for contemplation. Often the lyrics and arrangements pack some surprises. In the quiet “Close Every Valve to Your Bleeding Heart”, Roberts gently sings, “only Dostoevsky would dream up a pair like us.” Then later he shrieks, “only Dostoevsky could kill off a pair like us” as the song explodes.

The album’s final songs form a nice bookend, with the penultimate “So Quiet They’re Loud” repeating and expanding on lyrics from the first track. But that’s not all. Almost like an encore (in fact, it was the final encore at the Schubas show) “Thoreau In The Woods” ends Novel Sounds on a haunting, perhaps political note. “This is a snipe hunt”, Roberts cries, “And I can’t keep my mouth shut.” One can hope he won’t.