Final answer:
Alternative country music usually favors traditional themes and styles, drawing on folk traditions and distancing itself from the pop and rock influences that characterize mainstream country music.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alternative country music refers to a subgenre of country music that incorporates influences from various other music styles. Contrary to mainstream country, which often blends pop and rock elements, alternative country tends to retain the more traditional aspects of country music or explores different sounds not commonly found in mainstream music. Hence, the correct answer to the question is a) Traditional themes and styles.
Artists within this genre emphasize the storytelling of country music while blending it with folk music traditions, sometimes integrating features from genres such as rock and folk to create a unique sound that still respects the country music roots. These musicians often express dissatisfaction with the commercialized aspects of mainstream country music and seek to revive or maintain the authenticity of historical country sounds.