But don't be mistaken: They're not all about slow-plucked dirges. And even when they are, as in "Threnody"'s sister track, the venemous, flag-trampling "Waves of Grain," they're riveting. Look out for the punk-mariachi of "16th St. Dozens" and the waltzy swagger of "Prodigal Son," both outside the punk/folk/blues terrain that guitarist/vocalist Adam Stephens and drummer Tyson Vogel explored with their previous work. Better yet, ride high into "Las Cruces Jail," the rollicking album opener that finds a nervous desperado giving his last words before the gallows. Or try on "Long Summer Day," perhaps the Gallants' boldest work. Told from the perspective of an indentured slave in the antebellum South, it's nothing short of revelatory. Yes, it's all just drums, guitar, and occasional harmonica. Yes, Stephens, like Dylan, has a wiry voice that's not easy to love, but its power is just as hard to deny. Vogel steps up here as well, drumming in a unique style that's thunderous even when merely drizzling. What the Toll Tells is monumental, and though I know it's early to make predictions will stand as one of 2006's best albums.