After releasing a highly lauded debut album and being referred to as a “must-see” band, The Felice Brothers put out a second LP that could solidify their presence in the music world. Surviving, and more importantly thriving, in the music industry isn’t always about being good; it’s about being consistently good.  With their most recent release, “Yonder Is the Clock,” these country-folk rockers seem poised to showcase their consistency.

“Yonder Is the Clock” is a definitive step forward for the quintet hailing from the Catskill Mountains. It’s increasingly rare that a follow-up album actually matches a band’s first effort. In The Felice Brothers’ case, “Yonder Is the Clock” may stand to surpass its predecessor, the band’s 2008 eponymous debut.

“Yonder Is the Clock” is a success due to The Felice Brothers consistently awing listeners with their unpredictable style of music. The whole fun of listening to a Felice Brothers’ album is the fact that the audience never knows what to expect. Piano riffs give off the impression that they will rise with tension, but they never do.  Guitar solos are as off-key and quirky at times as they are melodic at others. Introspective, honest lyrics often blend the cynical and horrific with the surreal and humorous. These are the types of antics that, while absurdly irregular, make “Yonder Is the Clock” a fun and contemplative album.

The Felice Brothers’ style of music often sounds as if there was no formal planning before a song was composed. The band produces a natural, well-blended sound that is both soothing and chaotic, as heard on tracks “Memphis Flu” and “Run Chicken Run.”

The vocals of guitarist and lead vocalist Ian Felice may be the most intriguing aspect of “Yonder Is the Clock.” The singer’s raspy and haggard vocals are smooth enough to carry a song on their own, but wild and passionate enough to be reminiscent of a mid-’70s Bob Dylan. Felice’s vocals are arguably more unpredictable than The Felice Brothers as a band.  However, his delivery on cuts such as “Buried in Ice” and “Penn Station” are infectious and will leave listeners pining for more.

“Yonder Is the Clock,” simply put, is a splendid mess of a masterpiece.  It is loose, rambunctious and, at times, sardonic. The Felice Brothers clearly assumed that the record’s style would grab the attention of almost any kind of listener. And in this, The Felice Brothers were right.