EP by Westside Cowboy

What if the Avett Brothers made their own version of Radiohead’s OK Computer? That’s the thought that came to mind listening to “Strange Taxidermy,” the opening track on Westside Cowboy’s So Much Country ’Till We Get There.

The song begins almost like a hymn, with a gothic, folksy quality to it. Then the noise start creeping in, the sound grows thicker, and layers of noise swirl around the music until they seem to engulf it. Aoife Anson-O’Connell’s voice rises with the song, meeting that huge crescendo. It’s a gorgeous piece of music, and a pretty good introduction to a band that doesn’t seem particularly interested in staying in one place.

The song plays like a eulogy. I picture that quiet moment before a wake, when the immediate family gets a little time alone with the person who’s died. You look at someone you knew and loved, but there’s something strange about seeing them prepared for display. It’s sad and intimate, but there’s also something awkward, even a little absurd, about it. The song has that same combination of warmth and strangeness, making it feel both intimate and a little unsettling.

“Can’t See” takes things in a more direct indie-rock direction. It’s catchy, with a great rhythm, but Paddy Murphy’s drums are what really grab me. His playing pushes the whole song forward. Reuben Haycocks and Aoife Anson-O’Connell share the vocals, and the way their voices work together is sublime. Reuben Haycocks and Anson-O’Connell share the vocals, and the way their voices work together is sublime.

Lyrically, I hear two people with different perspectives on where they’ve been and where they’re going. One seems to have a clearer idea of what’s ahead, while the other can’t quite see it yet.

“Don’t Throw Rocks” brings back some of the noisier elements, but there’s a really cool indie-rock groove underneath it all. The restrained vocals are a big part of what makes the song work. Their voices carry the verses together, while bursts of guitar and noise keep breaking through around them. I love how the song builds. Each explosion of sound seems to push things a little further until the music gets gloriously noisy toward the end.

The lyrics leave me thinking about time, the things we build and how they eventually begin to break down. There’s a tension between creation and decay, though I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. The feeling of things changing beyond our control fits the restless music.

“The Wahs” is a fun change of pace. This one takes me back to the 90s, mixing alternative rock with an alt-country edge. There’s a rougher guitar sound here, but the song has a more controlled alternative-rock approach, with a rootsy twang underneath it all. It’s a short, catchy song, with vocals that add to the throwback feel. The lyrics give it a sense of struggle. That feeling of being in the middle of something difficult and wondering whether all the effort is going to be worth it.

“In the Morning” returns to the Americana side of the band’s sound. There’s a really cool folksy guitar part that brings to mind the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early 60s, but the song has a hazy, contemporary quality that keeps it from feeling like a straight-up folk tune. There’s more urgency here than the guitar might initially suggest, and once again, the two vocalists work beautifully together.

The song has a darker feeling beneath that warm sound. I hear someone trying to get through a difficult night in a place where they don’t feel entirely safe, hoping that morning will bring something better. There’s a sense of exhaustion and uncertainty, of being stuck somewhere and not knowing how to get out. I don’t know if that’s exactly what the song is about, but it’s the feeling I get from it.

What I like about So Much Country ’Till We Get There is how much ground Westside Cowboy cover in just five songs. There’s American alt-country, fuzzy folk, indie rock and harder-edged noise, but the band doesn’t try to cram all those influences into every track. Sometimes the country and folk elements sit at the center, with fuzz and distortion creeping in around them. Other times, they deliver something closer to polished indie rock.

The vocals are a big part of what makes that variety work. I like how Haycocks and Anson-O’Connell complement each other, sometimes sharing a song and sometimes trading off.

Listening to the EP is a bit like walking through a house where a different band is playing in every room. You stop in one room and hear a gorgeous, noisy folk song. In the next, there’s a catchy indie-rock tune. Somewhere else, you’re back in the 90s, before moving on to something with a more traditional Americana feel. That’s part of the appeal. Each room offers something different, and you get to spend a little time with all of them.

For a five-song EP, So Much Country ’Till We Get There gives you a lot to explore. I’m interested to hear where Westside Cowboy go next. 

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