It Goes On by Westside Cowboy is one of the best debut albums of the 21st Century.

Westside Cowboy is a band that seems to have largely flown under the radar since their inception. Their first few singles and EPs showed incredible potential, and when they began releasing singles for their debut album, it began to become clear that Westside Cowboy is something special. It Goes On is a once-in-a-lifetime debut album, entirely unique from its predecessors while expanding on the indie rock and Americana sounds we have come to know well. Westside Cowboy are incredible at what they do, and with this album they have perhaps become the most exciting band in indie rock today.

It is almost difficult to pick out the aspects of this album that stand out the most, as it feels nearly perfect across the board. With that being said, their lyricism and instrumentation are really something special. It is clear that It Goes On is building on decades of indie rock as well as alt country, particularly in songs like “Dobro” and “Big Wheels.”

At the same time, they are creating something entirely new, modern and important. Songs like “Well Done Kid, You Did It,” “Take My Leaving As I Love You” and “Coyote” have lyrics that are down-to-earth yet poetic; they get straight to the heart of the emotions they are conveying, and force you to sit with them as the songs build.

The chorus on “Well Done Kid, You Did It” is repeated four times, and feels like a gut-punch each time, building the emotional weight of the song to a massive scale by its end. The vocal contributions of all four members of the band assemble the earnest feeling of the music, and create beautiful harmonies as heard on songs like “Pin Up Boys.”

The worst thing that could be said of this album is that many of their songs have a similar structure. However, the lyricism and composition keeps any given track from feeling formulaic. Many of their songs use a similar build-up structure with heavily repeated choruses, but each of these choruses are so strong that this similar structuring doesn’t take away from any individual track — or the album overall.

In the latter half of the album, the three strongest songs on the album come one after another: “Pin Up Boys,” “Coyote” and “Patchwork” really stand out on an album filled with home-runs. “Pin Up Boys” was the highlight of the three singles released for this album. Reuben Haycocks’ vocals are punchy and emotional in a way that feels reminiscent of singers like Jason Molina and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Additionally, the drums on this track (played by Paddy Murphy) might be the best on the album.

“Coyote” is my favorite track on the album for its incredible lyricism and vocals. Aoife Anson O’Connell’s voice is incredible on all her songs, and she really shines on this one. The song’s lyrics are incredibly heartbreaking, speaking about the destruction of natural beauty in this country:

“Patchwork” undoubtedly contains the best instrumentation on the album. The piano building into the swell halfway through the song is a demonstration of what Westside Cowboy is best at: it is delicate yet powerful; loud, melancholy and beautiful all at once.

If there is one thing to be taken away from It Goes On, it’s that Westside Cowboy is a force to be reckoned with. Albums like this are rare, and Westside Cowboy is certain to go far if they continue on this trajectory.

RATING 9,500 / 10,000

Westside Cowboy - It Goes On