‘Dobro’ is the third single from Westside Cowboy's upcoming debut album, ‘It Goes On’. The Manchester alt-rock band have made a name for themselves over the past couple of years, moving from venues such as YES Pink Room to a sold-out headline gig at Manchester's Albert Hall later this year. You can still catch Westside Cowboy live at their other tour dates or festival appearances around the UK and Europe throughout the rest of the year. 

‘Dobro’ captures the essence of the band down to a T. It's melancholic and wistful in all the right ways, with calming vocals from Jimmy Bradbury and backing vocals from bassist Aoife Anson O’Connell, guitarist Reuben Haycocks, and multi-instrumentalist Paddy Murphy, which have the right amount of grit to match the style and substance of their lyrics and production. The layered instrumentation in the track gives the chorus an extra lift, with subtle guitar riffs adding to keep the mood intimate. Its arrangement gives each voice and layer room to breathe, letting the emotional twists and turns land clearly.

The tone and emotion of the lyrics also add to the sense that listeners aren’t told exactly who they are talking to. Some lines sound like they’re pleading with another: “If you care / Please come / Home”. As a listener, it creates an almost multi-perspective feel in “And you see him see myself again”, which suggests they are looking at themselves and their own lives from afar. The way their voices blend on the track and the emotion in the lyrics give the song a fuller, more immersive sound, letting listeners really get lost in the music. Especially as the production keeps that soft tension running under the melody. 

Loren Humphrey is back producing their debut album after also producing their second EP, ‘So Much Country 'Till We Get There’. His production style helps maintain continuity between releases, and that familiarity allows the band to grow and expand their sound without losing themselves and the warmth of their sound. It is evident in recent releases that the band sounds comfortable in what they are doing both on and off stage, balancing their raw sound with a polished record.

Francesca Wood

@frxnedits / @frxnwood

Image: Clémentine Schneidermann | @clementine.schneidermann

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