For the most part, rock music tends to portray places like Secret Cities' homebase of Fargo, N.D., as stifling, creativity-crushing hellholes that are valued only as sights in one's rearview. It's no wonder that the Midwest harbors a ton of bands shot through with desperation and urgency, but what's instantly notable about Secret Cities' debut, , is how it unintentionally mirrors flyover country's pace of life despite never mentioning it by name: it's unhurried, friendly, and welcoming of anyone who chooses to stop by, without being particularly pushy.