Cheyenne

When Cheyenne last wandered onto the musical landscape, there was little doubt about the Oklahoma natives’ Midwestern tendencies. The band’s first full-length, I Am Haunted, I Am Alive (released on KC label the Record Machine), was as sparse and breezy as the open plains it called home. But change is a part of life, and the band’s latest release, The Whale, proves that it’s not always a bad thing, either. Written and recorded as the band was pulling up stakes and moving to New York City, Whale forgoes alt-country simplicity for a more horn-filled, jazzy flair. Luckily for the band and the fans, this new cosmopolitan lifestyle suits Cheyenne.