Label: NICE SWAN RECORDS x HEIST OR HIT
By Toby Furlong
Manchester’s indie starlets Westside Cowboy have finally arrived on the scene with debut EP ‘This Better Be Something Great‘. Consisting of four tracks, the quartet’s drive and ability appears undeniable across the EP.
On the opening track ‘I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Love’ with its statement eponymous howl of ‘WESTSIDE COWBOY’, you immediately feel two things: the first is that this is a group with a point to prove and bucket-loads of talent to go alongside it and secondly, Paddy Murphy plays the drums with such urgency that you feel every second of the track could be make or break for the group.
‘Alright Alright Alright’ is a gloriously ramshackle knees up and further displays the group’s ability to fire on both fronts, sonically and lyrically. Meanwhile, on ‘Drunk Surfer’, the EP has its most compelling moment. It’s the buzz of restless guitars and cathartic emotional release – spearheaded by Reuben Haycocks‘ vocals in which he is unafraid to show vulnerability and desperation. On the track, Haycocks explained:
“‘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.”
After what could be described as a three track sonic assault, ‘Shells’ is a much softer inclusion, opting for softly strummed guitars and mellow vocal delivery that gives the EP time to breathe, but in true Westside Cowboy fashion, the track evolves and concludes in a blitzing guitar outro. The contemplating closer ‘Slowly I’m Sure’ ends the project in wistfully longing style, as Aoife’s and Haycock’s vocal harmonies tether together in one of the EP’s most memorable moments.
Westside Cowboy feel like a genuine sensation, a band fiercely rallied around each over, they are the newest ace up the sleeve in the indie genre that is always waiting for something revitalising to come along.
Listen to ‘This Better Be Something Great‘ here:
Catch Westside Cowboy at the following:
9th August – Yes Pink Room, Manchester
16th August – Green Man Festival, Brecon Beacons
23rd August – So Young takeover: Harbour Parade, Southampton
24th August – All Points East, London
28th August – End Of The Road Festival, Dorset
30th August – Manchester Psych Fest, Manchester
2nd September – Button Factory, Dublin (with Blondshell)
4th September – New Century Hall, Manchester (with Blondshell)
6th September – Oran Mor, Glasgow (with Blondshell)
7th September – Project House, Leeds (with Blondshell)
8th September – SWX, Bristol (with Blondshell)
10th September – CHALK Live, Brighton (with Blondshell)
11th September – Electric Brixton, London (with Blondshell)
12th September – Electric Brixton, London (with Blondshell)
14th September – Leffingeleuren Festival, Leffinge
16th September – ACU, Utrecht
17th September – Nochtspeicher, Hamburg
27th September – Float Along, Sheffield
9th October – Casino de Paris, Paris (with Black Country, New Road)
10th October – Stereolux, Nantes (with Black Country, New Road)
12th October – Paradiso, Amsterdam (with Black Country, New Road)
13th October – Paradiso, Amsterdam (with Black Country, New Road)
14th October – Gloria, Cologne (with Black Country, New Road)
15th October – Astra Kulturhaus, Berlin (with Black Country, New Road)
17th October – VEGA, Copenhagen (with Black Country, New Road)
18th October – Fållan, Johanneshov (with Black Country, New Road)
19th October – Sentrum Scene, Oslo (with Black Country, New Road)
21st October – Mojo Club, Hamburg (with Black Country, New Road)
22nd October – Roxy, Prague (with Black Country, New Road)
23rd October – Les Docks, Lausanne (with Black Country, New Road)
25th October – Magazzini Generali, Milan (with Black Country, New Road)
26th October – Epicerie Moderne, Lyon (with Black Country, New Road)
28th October – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels (with Black Country, New Road)
18th November – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
19th November – The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
21st November – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
22nd November – KOLA, Portsmouth
25th November – Future Yard, Birkenhead
26th November – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge
27th November – The Fulford Arms, York
28th November – Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
10th December – Night Club 101, New York, NY
15th December – Scribble, Los Angeles, CA
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