Review: Westside Cowboy - This Better Be Something Great EP

Westside Cowboy, the four piece band who met whilst studying in Manchester, consisting of Aoife Anson O’Connell, James Bradley, Reuben Haycocks and Paddy Murphy, have recently cropped up on people’s radars, most notably with their debut EP “This Better Be Something Great” released on 8 August this year.

From their beginnings in a corner of Johnny Roadhouse in 2023, the band have continuously worked on their sound, even abandoning previous projects of punk and drum machine pop bands in favour of Westside Cowboy. They’ve been continuously playing shows for the past year, and have been making their rounds at many festivals this summer (notably their show on the Glastonbury Woodsies stage this year after winning the emerging talent competition) while also writing music. Westside Cowboy are a band that have proven themselves to be worthy of upcoming success.

What is a Westside Cowboy? 

The name originated when James Bradley (guitar and vocals) read about the industrial revolution in New York. When trains were new and many people didn't understand them, this led to many getting accidentally hit, thus people were employed to control the speed of these trains to stop this from happening, they were then dubbed ‘Westside Cowboys’.

This EP blends together perfectly their influences of folk and early rock n’ roll into their unique sound that they have dubbed ‘Britainicana’. This is a genre that expresses the culture of the US through the lens of British small towns, without the grandeur or romanticisation of America.

“This Better Be Something Great” EP

The EP opens with their debut single "I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)” which they released in November of 2024. This song encapsulates their rock n’ roll influences, giving it a nostalgic feel amongst the chaotic, hard-hitting drums and modern jangly guitar riffs. Aoife’s harmonies add another layer of emotion that can be easily felt as a listener. As the song builds up, those vocals become more frenzied, seemingly fighting with each other and the instruments below. This gives the song a desperate feel amongst the hopeful and doubtful lyrics about a first love – “(What did you think was gonna happen when you took that shot in the dark) / I’ve never met anyone I thought I could really love / Till I met you”. Overall, this song has a real timeless quality to it, it is a song you feel you must play over and over again. It is the perfect opener.

“Alright Alright Alright” is the second track on the EP, shifting to a more obvious punk-driven sound that, although is present throughout the project, is particularly highlighted in this song. The repetitive hook of “It's Alright, Alright, Alright / Alright / It's Alright, Alright, Alright / Alright” mirrors the use of simple aggressive chords reminiscent of the early punk scene that originated in the UK and New York. The song keeps its chaotic and humorous energy throughout with not only the band's use of intense drum beats and distorted guitars, but also through its fast paced nature and increasing tempo, which, when being played live, keeps both listeners and watches encapsulated till the very last moment. Overall, this is a very energetic and fun song that I could see many people gravitating towards.

This is then followed by “Drunk Surfer”, another brilliant track that again displays a different avenue of their sound. The shifting dynamics of the song mixed with the intertwining slide guitar riffs and clever use of overdubs (and accidental church bells being picked up during the recording), leads to a raw but put together sound that reminds me of a typical guitar driven 90s indie rock song. The structure of the song however is unique, with the lyrics alluding to bleaker themes of wanting freedom and escape – “For a good time, we can wonder what it's like on the greener side / As the water runs dry”. With the end of the song moving from an acoustic sadness to what feels like an intense instrumental of frustration, this song perfectly articulates what it needs to – “You're scaring me now / You're scaring me now”.

Sonically, it then shifts, opting for a paired back acoustic guitar song called “Shells” that really demonstrates Reuben and Aoife’s ability to harmonise and match their voices together perfectly. However, just as you think you’ve gotten a feeling for the song, it then erupts into a guitar led, drum-heavy rock song. My personal favourite off the album, I think it truly conveys their range as musicians, as well as their talent as lyricists. “Now sadnеss this time could not mean anything to me / So I’ll just sleep with a gun” – another beautifully melancholy song brought to life by its full instrumentals.

The band then chose to end the EP on the only unheard song, “Slowly I’m Sure”. This song is perhaps the most raw and personal song from the project, starting with the spoken off-guard introduction before the singing starts. Although this song is the simplest, with only an acoustic guitar and vocals, with the harmony coming in at the last chorus, this doesn’t take away from how beautiful and emotional the song is. It’s the ideal ending song which allows the listener to feel connected to the band through its intimate lyricism and production – “Slowly I’m waiting, slowly I'm sure / That you won’t love me no more”.

It is evident from this EP that even though they’re just getting started, Westside Cowboy are confident in themselves musically, and have crafted their sound immaculately. I cannot wait to watch them grow through their projects and live shows in the upcoming future.

Listen to “This Better Be Something Great” 

Buy tickets to Westside Cowboy’s upcoming UK and America tour 

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Written by Rosetta Cullen for Ceol Magazine.

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