Westside Cowboy - So Much Country ‘Till We Get There

The title of Westside Cowboy’s debut EP, ‘This Better Be Something Great’, released back in August, hinted at ambition; its follow-up, ‘So Much Country ‘Till We Get There’, shows they can back it up.

Although ‘So Much Country…’ marks their move to a major label, the charm of their hotchpotch sound remains. The rough guitar takes of ‘The Wahs’ carry the thrill of a studio jam session committed to paper, while the instrumental swells in ‘Strange Taxidermy’ and ‘Don’t Throw Rocks’ bring controlled chaos but never loose structure, a technical feat that reflects the band’s classical background.

‘Can’t See’ is a prime example of their self-imposed ‘Britainicana’ label; with its scrappy, power-chord drive, it feels built for a coming-of-age film montage. Plucky strings and a choir of voices meanwhile guide two-minute folk closer ‘In The Morning’, a song which feels at once like a coda to the EP and a declaration of sound. ‘So Much Country’ is a confirmation that just two EPs in, Westside Cowboy are already confident about where they’re heading.