Westside Cowboy - It Goes On (2026)
I think It Goes On has some good ideas and a likeable roughness, but I don't think the songs are consistently strong enough to make the album particularly memorable.
The best moments are the ones where Westside Cowboy keep things simple. When the guitars are more direct and the rhythm section pushes the song forward, there is an immediacy that works very well.
I also like the slightly messy character of the production. The album doesn't sound overworked, and that gives the performances some personality. It feels much more like a band playing together than a carefully polished indie-rock product.
The problem is that the energy is often more memorable than the songwriting.
There are several tracks where I enjoy the guitars, the vocal delivery or the general momentum while they are playing, but I struggle to remember a strong melody or chorus afterwards.
The quieter or more atmospheric moments give the album some useful contrast, although I don't think they always develop enough to become real highlights.
There is personality here, and I can hear why the band could be very effective live. But across the complete record, too many songs occupy a similar emotional and musical space.
Nothing is particularly bad. The album moves reasonably well, the performances feel natural and there are enough interesting moments to keep me listening.
I just don't find enough songs that I genuinely want to return to individually.
So for me this is an enjoyable but fairly minor indie-rock record: more convincing as a band performance than as a collection of memorable compositions.
Pros
- Natural, energetic band performance
- Rough production gives the album some personality
- Enough variation to keep the record reasonably engaging
Cons
- Energy is often stronger than the actual songwriting
- Too few melodies or hooks stay with me afterwards
- Several tracks blur together after the album ends
Genre: Indie Rock
Country: UK
Final Verdict: 60% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 553th / 676
Highlight: Big Wheels
Made me think of:
Geese
Wednesday
MJ Lenderman
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