A young four-piece formed not far from the banks of the Mersey blends American references into melodies that are both disarmingly simple and unmistakably British in character.
Sometimes the simplest formulas are the best. It Goes On, Westside Cowboy’s eagerly awaited debut album, arrives with a willingness to embrace this maxim, following the meteoric rise of the band, which had just formed in 2023 while studying at a Manchester music faculty.
Four musicians — one woman, three men —, a shared vocal approach and instrumentation pared down to the bare minimum: guitars, bass, drums, sometimes a few keyboards and a tambourine… It took little more for the young English quartet to radiate beyond their apparent sobriety. Simplicity equals sincerity. Rhythm and energy play a large part.
From New York to California, from the Velvet to Pavement
After two EPs described as “Britainicana” by the artists themselves, a clever blend of English traditions and American references, the Mancunians keep turning toward the American continent.
New York and the East Coast to begin with, with the Velvet Underground as a starting point, but also The Modern Lovers, Pixies or the early records of The Strokes and Arcade Fire.
Then California, palpable behind this Pavement-worthy slacker attitude, for an album not totally undone but never really neat either. What Goes On? Lou Reed asked at the end of the sixties. Regardless of the answer, Westside Cowboy preserves its longevity. And it continues to go from strength to strength.
It Goes On (Island Records/Universal). Set for release on August 21. Live in Paris at Petit Bain on November 13.
