By Stan Cierlitsky
Through the first half of 2026, one of my favorite new bands has been Westside Cowboy. This time last year they released their debut EP, This Better Be Something Great, and they followed it up early this year with their second EP, So Much Country 'Till We Get There. The songs on those EPs were so good. And with a total of 10 songs in less than a year's time, it almost felt as if Westside Cowboy had already released their debut album. I am not sure how they can keep churning out such great songs at such a rapid pace, but It Goes On, the first full-length album, is out today. Folks, that's 21 new songs in less than a year!
Overall, when I listen to Westside Cowboy I hear sounds that are very familiar to me, though I still feel like I am experiencing something very new. At times I feel like I am hearing The Wedding Present, with little guitar flourishes of Modest Mouse. At other times I feel like I am hearing early Pixies, with the same sort of guy/girl vocal interplay, but instead of Kim Deal's voice, I'm hearing Adrienne Lenker's from Big Thief. There is just so much here that seems to be influenced by some of my favorites.
The first single from the album, "Kick Stones (The Boys)" is a great intro for people just now checking this band out. It definitely has the "chuggy" guitars and the Modest Mouse guitar accents, while the vocal interplay in this one is a true highlight. The track just builds to perfection. It's the perfect album opener. Putting "Kick Stones (The Boys)" next to the four songs which follow it makes that part of It Goes On feel almost like a third EP. This is a relentless wave of great, high energy songs. The second song, "Paper Chains" is another fave of mine. This one has a feel of another new band I like a lot, Ducks LTD. The third cut on It Goes On, "Dobro" follows. This one, the third single from the release, sounds a little more country-influenced. "Well Done Kid You Did It" and "Worried Age" fill out the first half of this record very well.
The second half of It Goes On mixes things up a bit. We start to see a little softer side of Westside Cowboy. The Aoife Anson-O'Connell-led "Coyotes" really will make you think of Adrienne Lenker in the best ways. It starts slow and beautiful, but, of course, in Westside Cowboy fashion, the cut ends in a big way. "Patchwork" is another song that builds and then erupts. "Take My Leaving As I Love You" is a beautiful slow country ballad.
The second single, "Pin Up Boys" might be my favorite from the album. Apparently it is the oldest song from the record and it was recorded over a year and a half ago using an acoustic guitar, a drum machine sample pad, and some screwdrivers as drumsticks. They had been playing it live for so long when they went to the studio to record it that they wanted to make sure it was faithful to the live performance. From watching old concert videos on YouTube I think they did it.
Anyone at all interested in indie guitar music needs to check this record out. Westside Cowboy are definitely one of my favorite new bands and I can't wait for them to tour the States.
It Goes On by Westside Cowboy is released today. Details below.
[Photo: Clementine Schneidermann]