Representing the small but mighty country music scene of the Seattle region and the Pacific Northwest, Western Centuries is one of the most well-beloved and well-regarded bands of the region, with a listenership that extends well beyond the rainy West Coast from their reputation for releasing excellent country music songs and albums that have helped set the pace for honky tonk for the last few years.

With the title of their new album Call The Captain calling attention to how they’re a band with no real frontman, Western Centuries features Cahalen Morrison, who has quite a following all his own from his various country projects as both a frontman and collaborator, Ethan Lawton who is known for his earlier work in Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers, and Jim Miller who became known through his efforts with Donna the Buffalo. Swapping time on respective instruments and getting their fair share of opportunities at center stage singing their self-penned songs, Western Centuries is more a country music songwriting commune than a conventional country band.

These boys have always had a bit of a feel that reminds you of The Band, built in part from the timbre of the voices of both Ethan Lawton and Jim Miller, and how they draw upon Cajun and Arcadian traditions. Call The Captain seems to embrace this characteristic even more than previous works, with songs like “Heart Broke Syndrome” and “The Sentinel” feeling like they could be lost tracks of Music from Big Pink. Where their last record Songs From The Deluge was a strong and dedicated move towards traditional honky tonk, this one gives you a bit more variety and an Americana vibe, while still serving the traditional country listener.