Westside Cowboy - 'Drunk Surfer'
Drunk Surfer, the final instalment before the release of Westside Cowboy’s debut EP, This Better Be Something Great, is a heart-wrenching flurry of guitar riffs and haunting vocals.
The Manchester quartet, who have taken the UK music scene by storm in the last few months, have released live-set favourite, Drunk Surfer, the last single before their debut EP is released. It’s got all of the components of a great Westside Cowboy track, a solid drum intro with the gentle pluck of the bass before it kickstarts into a thriller of guitars, followed by Reuben Haycock’s smoky vocals joining the mix.
There is a sense of urgency carried throughout Drunk Surfer, starting almost chaotically, tension building throughout every verse, bridge and chorus until it reaches a pinnacle…the final chorus. There’s an almost sudden halt, the band slows down momentarily only to continue climbing that hill at a furious pace, and as a listener, you’re running along with them. It’s infectious, the chaos, the vocals, all digging themselves deep under your skin. So much so that you can’t help following along with the band’s urgency, chasing whatever is next to come. The top of the hill, the momentous build towards the end of the track, is the welcome release. It’s cathartic, the vocals a desperate cry, “you and every bone in my body.” It feels like a therapeutic release for both the band and the listener.
Westside Cowboy take you on a journey with Drunk Surfer, one that feels both heavy and sweet, and also necessary. The haunting darkness of the lyrics, the desperation, and the chaos of the track are undoubtedly going to be relatable to many. Haycock said of the track, “‘Drunk Surfer’ in all honesty was about a time that I have since forgotten. This is not something that I regret, however, as the song is now free to take on new meanings depending on the context of my life. I hope it can work like this for others also.”
It is only fair to say that the recognition that Westside Cowboy have received in recent months is more than well deserved. The quartet started playing “unserious jams” as a distraction from higher education and unemployment, but those “unserious jams” have caused waves throughout the UK music scene, launching Westside Cowboy into the limelight. It is exactly where they belong. Following on from singles such as I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You) and BBC Radio 6 favourite Shells, Drunk Surfer has cemented Westside Cowboy as the ones to watch.
If their singles are anything to go by, their debut EP This Better Be Something Great is guaranteed to be well…great.
Words by Angela English
