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\n\tKeyland have spent the better part of the past year positioning themselves as the next band to break out of Oklahoma\u2019s Red Dirt<\/a> scene. This month, the group put those efforts on full display with Knuckle Sandwich<\/em>, Keyland\u2019s third studio album and first since 2023.<\/p>\n \n\tFounded and fronted by Kyle Ross, an assistant high-school football coach and English teacher in Bixby, a Tulsa suburb, Keyland have built a fan base across the state with a high-energy live show and a hit-you-in-the-feelings songwriting style. Knuckle Sandwich<\/em> wastes no time driving that home in the leadoff song \u201cCannonball,\u201d which features lyrics like \u201cYou can tell me you love me, or you can go to hell,\u201d setting the tone for the 11-track LP.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt all kind of centers around decision-making, and indecision,\u201d Ross says of the album, \u201cand love looking more like a punch to the face sometimes. Sonically, it\u2019s fun and it touches on a lot of different areas between country and rock and Americana.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tRoss and his band recorded Knuckle Sandwich<\/em> at the Sonic Ranch, an analog studio just outside of El Paso, Texas, where major albums by Koe Wetzel<\/a>, Vandoliers<\/a>, Waxahatchee, and American Aquarium have been recorded recently. \u201cIt\u2019s a legitimate, magical place down there,\u201d Ross says of the studio on the Mexico border, where he has recorded most of Keyland\u2019s music since 2023.<\/p>\n