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With the rumbling lead single ‘Kick Stones (The Boys)’ landing in May and setting the tempo for their debut album, second single ‘Pin Up Boys’ initially feels like more of the same. Opening with twanging surf chords and restless vocals from Reuben Haycocks, it bursts into life with maniacal drumming from Paddy Murphy. Paired with downstroked guitar from Jimmy Bradbury, ‘Pin Up Boys’ marauds before Aoife Anson O’Connell’s breathy, folk-indebted vocals punctuate the final third. Instead of the customary fast-and-loud conclusion, the final 20 seconds are subdued, bar an uncharacteristically subtle kick and hi-hat. With minimal instrumentation, Haycocks resignedly sings ‘You think I’m like/one of your pin up boys’, interlocking with O'Connell’s yodelled vocals in a forlorn call and response.
Debuting on Wednesday as Jack Saunders’ ‘Hottest Record in the World’ alongside a music video spotlighting the band playing in a school hall, it seems Island Records has a remarkable amount of faith in Westside Cowboy. However, the band feels like they could exist in any decade, borrowing from Dick Dale-style surf rock, 00s indie sleaze, and rockabilly with equal measure.
Pivoting slightly from their trademark ‘Britainicana’, ‘Pin Up Boys’ emphasises Westside Cowboy’s commitment to being concise, creating tracks brimming with urgency, while never relying on the same formula to get them there. Instead, each track offers an opportunity for every band member to shine. With ‘It Goes On’ set for release on 21st August, it seems more and more likely that we may be about to get the defining guitar album of the 2020s.
Keir Shields
Image: Clémentine Schneidermann | @clementine.schneidermann
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