Old Mare’s You Deserve More serves a multitude of purposes, including being a soundtrack to listen to while driving around your hometown or a sincerely written letter to a former flame.

Predominantly country, but without the overwhelming sap that usually comes with the genre, the five-man band from Abbotsford have a tendency to wear their emotions on their sleeve. The opener, “Pistols at Dawn,” is a prime example of this, introducing the listener to a simpler time full of gentlemanly gestures and falling in love under the cherry blossoms.

While the majority of the album maintains a gentle feel throughout, which lulls the listener with soft guitar chords and lingering trumpet sounds, the penultimate track, “Cloak and Dagger,” fills the necessary quota of songs that allow the band to just simply rock out, which fittingly leads up to the closer, “Waiting,” a somber serenade seemingly tailored to personally address whoever happens to be listening; an appropriate conclusion for such a heartfelt group of songs.

Although its songs are honest, a recurring theme that the album could do without is the frequent repetition of song names in the majority of the choruses. Without using the track listing as a cheat sheet, one can listen to the entire album and be able to accurately pick out the line that makes up the song’s name.

Song title repetition aside, You Deserve More acts as a sincere collection of emotions paired with the appropriate musical accompaniment. It’s an album that makes you feel homesick, even when you’re still living in your parent’s basement.