EP Review: Westside Cowboy - 'So Much Country ‘Till We Get There'
Mancunian quartet unveil second EP ahead of a year to remember.
Music is undergoing a seismic shift right now. Amongst the indie-rock rise in both America and UK, industry experts and fans alike are predicting a new 'Meet me in the Bathroom' era is underway - an explosive NYC scene post 9/11 that brought about The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem into the spotlight. While the likes of Cameron Winter may be taking the major headlines across the pond, it appears we have magic of our own coming from the Northern city of Manchester.
Riding a wave of industry excitement by a self-coined genre of 'Britainicana', Westside Cowboy's pairing of 90's alt-guitar and folkish lyricism has brought about one of the most thrilling bands in the UK who find themselves in every music conversation.
Amongst the precarious dangers of being coined as a "hype band" for their artist status bloating overnight, the collective have rode every high and low the industry threw at them. Amongst their freshly inventive debut EP 'This Better Be Something Great' last year, prestigious sets at The Great Escape and Glastonbury have garnered a must-see narrative to witness live. This year, fuelled by a signing with Island imprint Adventure Recordings, the band gear up with its successor, 'So Much Country 'Till We Get There'.
The journey they're on and where they'll end up, is unknown to many. But what is known is that this huge trajectory the band are on right now - and the fact that it's not slowing down. the rampant fanfare that's been following them from coast-to-coast, the band have remained grounded and solely focused on themselves. A disruption loud enough to undoubtedly cause many other artists to careen sideways from the expectation, the four of Reuben Haycocks, Aoife Anson O’Connell, Paddy Murphy and Jimmy Bradbury have remained incredibly steadfast.
A collective of young exciting musicians very much in their own world, their second EP sounds like a band figuring themselves out still, as they focus on the enjoyment of making music together - not necessarily trying to find perfection amongst it. For they are still a band who while wickedly talented, are still young who have been thrown into the spotlight.
The second here gleans just like the debut: a fresh and keyed-up stir of thrilling invention that seemingly takes the reins all on its own. At the crux of it, it's a band having fun, keeping their eye on the ball and ignoring all that noise.
It seems that new and explosive music sees us have ties to America more than ever. The band turned to Loren Humphrey in New York for producing duties, who funnily enough, also crafted Cameron Winter's acclaimed solo debut 'Heavy Metal' LP, aswell as the quartet's self-styled 'Britainicana' sound here.
Cut, spliced and plucked from live renditions, each of the five tracks have lived many lives, with an endless flurry of hands and mouths from the recordings. It marks the EP as a pivotal moment of pause to where the band is at this moment in time. The wondrously freeing 'Strange Taxidermy' is a testament to the bands' turning-wheel philosophy - four cogs all working for the same end-goal. Aoife Anson O’Connell’s vocals are mesmerising amongst strings rife with anticipation, teetering on the edge ready to go at any given moment. Then it goes. A cacophony of rhythmic stabs made by Paddy Murphy and Jimmy Bradbury amongst a jitter of static synths, and a flurry of piano strikes.
The kinetic blow out of 'Can't See' follows as an immediate precedent, eager to get a word in. It begins with a Bowie-esque rock riff before it veers into Westside's signature twang. The duo of guitarist Reuben Haycocks and bassist Aoife Anson O’ Connell share out a chant of, "You can’t see, but you try” amongst a sound grounded solely to its makers. Lead single, "Don't Throw Rocks" conjures up of familiarities from their debut, another wholly-crafted piece of shared vocals, frenetic guitar workings-out and a rhythmic gust thrown from the percussion. The inspirations run through here, too. Blondshell, Bowie to name a few. Also Black Country, New Road come to mind who many years ago, were a big inspiration to them with 'Ants Up There' getting a mention. Now, they're more than just an inspiration fogging up ideas. They're buddies touring with one another around the country.
'The Wahs' is another fast flurry of folkish slacker-rock but allows itself to rein itself in at times, exposing something really... real here. The ramshackle invention here is on dazzling display, all the while making an apparent nod to Green Day's 'Warning' via the bassline (listen to it!). The push-and-pull throughout the EP ends with its cooldown via amiable 'In The Morning'. Woozy dose of electric folk wades in the whole band who are all taking up vocal duties here, "I've been falling, but I'm sleeping. Watch this city be the death of me tonight." A fond adieu that's wrapped up the majority of their 90-plus sets last year, it also closes out this EP.
This EP comes at a time where they are in the throes of escaping a mammoth 2025 - and entering an even bigger one this year. Personable, emotional and equally intoxicating both in studio and on stage, Westside Cowboy are the right band to beat the drum for the country. A triumphant tale that's barely begun, this lot from Manchester are here for all the right reasons.
While prepping EP stuff, Westside Cowboy are also set to go on a tour of their own at the end of the month, including London's Scala and Manchester's Gorilla. They are also set to open fellow breakout act Geese's UK/EU tour shortly thereafter. They wrap up support end of March at Eventim Apollo in London.
Words by Alex Curle
