West 22nd - “Sunburns"

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Young the Giant, Hippo Campus, Goose

The only SXSW band so local that they are named after a street in Austin, West 22nd were born in the halls of University of Texas, a student band punching above their weight on their debut EP All The Way Home and recent single “Sleeping Alone”. Upbeat rock and roll is the key tenet of West 22nd’s music, catchy and hook-ready while still keeping some indie-rock comfort in mind. Guitar riffs are bright and targeted, vocals delivered in a smooth croon, but West 22nd don’t sound overly sunny. A little bit of griminess goes a long way here, not muddy, but also not so in-your-face in what would normally be the case for rock music that is this so pop-centered. It’s refreshing to hear a band that’s musically having fun on record as well - there’s a lightness to West 22nd even as they go for a relatively big sound on these introductory tracks. Imaginably these songs crush live, so don’t be surprised if West 22nd is one of the buzzy upstarts lauded after running through their first SXSW this year. West 22nd is at Cuatro Gato Monday night, followed by a showcase at Valhalla midnight on Wednesday. (Kevin McStravick)