“Well Done Kid, You Did It”: Westside Cowboy Release Debut Album “It Goes On”
The highly anticipated debut album It Goes on by Westside Cowboy has finally been released, and it was well worth the wait. The four piece band from Manchester have a mission statement of keeping the music simple, but still fun and human. It’s safe to say that they managed to accomplish that and much more through the 11 tracks on the record.
It Goes On album cover
We jump in with “Kick Stones (The Boys)”, which was the earliest single released ahead of the album. It instantly sets the tone and energy for the first couple of tracks on the LP. Reuben Haycocks’ voice is the first we hear on the record, accompanied by a simple guitar and drum rhythm. As the song unfolds, more elements are added, including Aoife Anson O'Connell’s vocals which blend with Haycocks’ effortlessly. The development of the song is one that mirrors their own musical journey as a band: exploring and expanding through creation and performance. Dummer Paddy Murphy spoke on this saying the opening track is, “ as much about how we made it as the lyrics”.
The band has noted using inspiration like The Velvet Underground’s “What Goes On” as a guideline for how to record songs like “Kick Stones”. The similarities between structures and style are clearly there, but with a classic Westside Cowboy twist. This is a distinct sound that carries through into the next song on the list, “Paper Chains”. The combination of vocals on this track are perfect. The band, while young, are already experts at making songs that are exciting, interesting, and feel like real music made by real people. I think that’s why I was so drawn to them from the start—there’s nothing fake or computer generated about them. Every song sounds like a group of kids having fun, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what making music is all about?
“Dobro” is another great example of how each member perfectly melds their sound together. At times, the vocals act simply as additional instruments to the song instead of being at the forefront, a detail that helps with the idea of creating one unified space, a beautiful agglomeration of sounds.
Moving into “Well Done Kid, You Did It”, it feels like such a coming-of-age song, one I wish I’d had to listen to when I was younger. If you ever find out what happened to me Hold onto that thought, hold onto that thought And save me the pain, don’t bring it to me That person has gone, that person has gone. Straight away, these lyrics instantly became some of my favorites on the album. The words feel raw and almost hurt, naturally drawing emotion out of the listener. Murphy gives us an amazing solo towards the end of his song, showcasing his skills in a powerful way. His fill helps amplify the force of the song and its lyrics, making it hit even harder. Another song that shares this feeling of growing up is “Coyote”. O'Connell starts this one off by herself with just a guitar in accompaniment. Her beautiful, innocent voice invites the listener to let their guard down. The chimes in the background give way to a childlike, imaginative state as the song progresses and grows. This one felt very 2000’s indie rock, as though it could have been playing in “Juno” or another coming-of-age film.
Honestly, on my first listen of “Worried Age”, tears were brought to my eyes. The sheer amount of emotion they convey through the instruments and the lyrics in the song is extraordinary–there’s no other way about it. Its components swallow you and put you into the song. This feeling is something that can be hard to find these days, but Westside Cowboy are proving that it's possible and it's real. The lyrics We are a worried age, Where your panic feels more real than a thought, And the vivid dreams of a careless death, It eats and it sleeps and it walks felt so relatable and human. I think that right now we can all connect to these lines in some way or another, as the reality of living in the current times is inherently complex and uncomfortable. Whether it be because of social media, societal pressures, or personal struggles, we all feel worried all the time about something. It’s a sort of common ground we all share, one that the band recognized and chose to highlight. They personify this feeling of worry and this anxiety we carry by giving it life, and the song mirrors this invisible strength it has.
There are some soft spots on this record like “Big Wheels” and “Take My Leaving As I Love You”, that show a different, yet exceptional side of the band. Jimmy Bradbury takes control on “Big Wheels” with the main vocals. His voice has the ideal sound for this tune, as it mixes with the guitar melody and backing vocals seamlessly. This slower song serves almost as a short respite, where we get to live in this world exploring a relationship and its end. The words Take the guns away from me, I can’t use them anymore Love isn’t found in a shell but it’s found by your front door There’s nothing else for me to see alone tell a story of two people who no longer share the same connection they once had. Similarly, “Take My Leaving As I Love You” is a melancholy love letter that takes the form of an acoustic song. With just a guitar and Haycocks’ vocals, a complicated conversation takes place, where the toughest decision, saying goodbye, means I love you.
While exploring these hard situations through their music, the band do not let the sorrowful themes limit what they do sonically. Like with “Patchwork”, sounds of the studio trickle in to start us off, with different instruments warming up as the song begins to unfold. We shift into a full but still quiet sound, what seems to be another moment of relief on the record, until every element joins in later on. The song builds on itself, both instrumentally and lyrically. Yet again, there is a clear narrative within the lyrics, one of something not working out and trying to figure out why. The character in the song recognizes the rose-colored glasses outlook that was once had, the lyrics House on the shore With moss-covered stone It was perfect for a time Til the storms came in, again, acknowledging this perspective, then implying that the situation was never truly perfect to begin with. There aren’t many lyrics in this one, but they somehow manage to fit the entire story within the few they have present. The instruments build to finish telling it, growing to give us a complex but complete ending. This song is another perfect example of this band’s talent and everything they are capable of.
Closing with “You Could Have Died There On The Dance Floor”, we’re back to their fun, upbeat trademark sound, a superb ending to their first album. Finishing the tune off with someone saying “that’s all,” they conclude their album in a way that feels casual and gives the listener a connection to the process. It reminds us of how playful and experimental this adventure of making music, and listening to it, is meant to be.
Westside Cowboy are one of the best up-and-coming bands for a multitude of reasons, one of the main ones being that they are singular, and this album reinforces that idea. Between the unique and enchanting vocals, and the heavy hitting instruments that seem to always be perfectly placed, every song they make is amazing and something new. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this is one of the best debut albums of the year, in fact it might be an understatement.