There's an old adage in the music business—hurry up and wait. It’s as old as time itself and still rings true today. All too often, we’re stuck in a no man’s land where the present is almost non-existent. You look at the past, the “good old days,” with rose-colored glasses. The future is presented as when everything will be figured out and make sense—there’s an unparalleled optimism towards the future. Days drag on, but the years fly by.

With their highly anticipated sophomore album, Homeland Insecurity, Texas’ Flatland Cavalry wants to stop and smell the roses. Bandleader and chief lyricist Cleto Cordero is fine with examining and the present. There’s an appreciation for all the sharp detail and high-spirited emotions of today.

Flatland Cavalry—the aforementioned Cordero, guitarist Reid Dillon, bassist Jonathan Saenz, drummer Jason Albers, and newest member, fiddle player Wesley Hall—has been stretching their legs across the country this past year after honing their craft and voice in the music boomtown of Lubbock, Texas.