It could be that it was the natural thing to do. It could be that it was part of their evolution. It could also be that Old Reliable simply needed a change of direction. One thing is certain: The Burning Truth, Old Reliable’s fourth full-length album, is a rock album.

"We never want to make the same record twice," says frontman Mark Davis. "I appreciate you pointing out that it’s different, because I think some of the reviews thus far have accused us of being in a holding pattern. I don’t see it that way. I think we made a conscious effort to make a different record and that’s the way it should come across."

Eleven years after their inception, Old Reliable is still the same alt-country band, if only because the themes main songwriters Mark Davis and Shuyler Jansen explore remain familiar. But the sound is completely different. Gone is the moody experimentation that was plastered all over Pulse Of Light/Dark Landscape and the conceptualization that was the driving force behind The Gradual Moment. Also gone is long-time drummer Scott Lingley, who was replaced by original member Mike Silverman after The Burning Truth was completed.

What’s old is new again

"What is there to really write about in the world besides your life and songs about girls?" asks Davis. "It’s a more straightforward record, for sure. There are less adventurous sounds on there. It keeps it quite simple by focusing on the members of the band rather than bringing in a lot of guests. It’s just the five of us."

Could it be that Old Reliable are finally showing their real selves, taking the gusto of their live performances into the studio and creating an album rife with true rock moments? Possibly.

But just as their audience has changed throughout the band’s lifetime, so has the band’s identity. With Jansen releasing his solo electro-folk Hobotron, Shawn Jonasson pouring his old-time country heart into The Swiftys and Davis preparing his own solo release for late-summer, the band was able to focus more confidently on what they do best.

"Mike coming back into the fold and the solo projects injected new life into Old Reliable," explains Davis. "Obviously a new member will add something different to the mix. The solo projects allow me and Shuyler to express ourselves in ways that we feel we haven’t been able to express. That keeps everything alive and fresh. It allows us to come back to Old Reliable with more enthusiasm.

"There’s been a significant change of the guard in the constituency of our shows," he adds. "We’ve seen different generations of fans come and go. The people who were on our side for the first four or five years probably don’t come to the shows anymore, which is okay: there was probably more of a novelty ten years ago. There’s certainly been a burgeoning of the rock community within recent years."

Have sticks, will travel

With successful appearances at South By Southwest in Austin last month (a journey that was entirely funded by the band’s label, Saved By Radio) and an upcoming tour that will have them travel from Minneapolis to Montreal by way of Toronto and, possibly, Chicago, Davis is confident that this might finally be Old Reliable’s time to shine.

"We’re definitely reaching out to the right population bases, and new areas we haven’t been to," he says. "It’s about time we got there after 10-11 years. We’re all really excited, the atmosphere in the van right now is top notch."

For Mike Silverman, it couldn’t happen at a better time. The long-time collaborator and original presence behind Old Reliable’s drum kit is a softer percussionist than Lingley, according to Davis, and will enable the band to re-explore the darker, slower songs from previous records throughout the tour.

But the real test will be the CD release show at the Powerplant.

"I’m a little nervous about the show for obvious reasons: it’s a hometown show, and there will be way more people there," admits Silverman. "I’m excited at the same time. I’ve always felt a very strong connection with the band. I’ve always been in touch with Mark and Shuyler over all these years. I think people are going to have certain expectations and they may not welcome me with open arms but, you know, fuck it."