It was just around a year ago when I featured the indie-rock band, West 22nd, for my “Hidden Gems” column. In March 2024, they were averaging just over 60,000 monthly Spotify listeners and had a plethora of fun singles and a head-bopping EP in their back pocket. While the quality of their music was worthy of turning heads, they weren’t garnering a ton of attention outside of their college town in Austin, TX.
The student band, made up of five buddies from the University of Texas, has gradually grown into an indie-rock staple, all the while balancing the workload that any college student has to juggle. My wish for them was that as the workload winded down, they’d be able to produce a full album and take off running – and boy, am I so glad that West 22nd finally put the books down.
“Nowhere To Be” is West 22nd’s 11-song, 46-minute project that explores various tones and speeds, showcasing sides to this band I hadn’t experienced before. Singles included on the album, like “Savannah” and “Laugh It Off,” had me salivating for this complete project after their winter releases, and the other nine songs did not disappoint.
The production quality and expansive storytelling on each song make it an injustice to keep labeling the five as a student band just trudging along through college. West 22nd, while still climbing up the ranks, are no longer the new faces on the block, known for pop-up events and college shows. They are the smoothest sound in indie-rock, with a refreshing style that helps them stick out in an already crowded and growing genre.
The opening track, “Can’t Help It,” tightropes on the line between carefree and edgy. Lead vocalist Logan Madsen’s tone dips and rises throughout the song, setting the standard for how versatile they become in this project.
“Virginia Highlands,” “All I Ever Wanted” and “Laugh It Off” are instant classics in my book. They also illustrate West 22nd’s ability to read the room because as the warmer months approach and the UV rises, these pumped-up tracks are all anyone is going to want to play.
You also have to appreciate songs like “I Wonder Why” and “Sun In The Sky” for their ability to mellow things out. “Nowhere To Be” is an extensive album, and I love that the guys found space for slower songs to break up their signature rock tracks. “Love On The Run” is another song that strays from what I’ve grown accustomed to, but the nearly six-minute track reveals an intimate, reflective side to the group that’s worth tipping your cap to.
This warm, slow-moving trio, paired with the more lively bunch mentioned before, creates such a distinct sound by the group. Throw in tracks like “Savannah” and “Easy Love” that evolve throughout their four-minute run times, and you’ve got not only a remarkably made project but a journey.
At such a young age in their musical careers and as a band of only a few years, West 22nd has brilliantly removed the possibility of being labeled as one-hit wonders or handcuffed to one genre. While their singles and EP had a signature sound, “Nowhere To Be” is the perfect mixture of their unique tune with a gentler side to the group that I wasn’t aware of until this point.
Now that the guys have this project in their right hand and a collection of past singles in their left, the last thing to do is share the fun with the rest of the country. From April 11 until June 18, West 22nd will be on the road with shows starting in their stomping grounds of Austin, TX, and concluding things on the West Coast in cities like San Diego, CA, Los Angeles, CA, and Phoenix, AZ.
I’m typically against labelling an album as “perfect,” but “Nowhere To Be” is hard to critique – especially as someone who’s been listening to the band’s very first releases and has witnessed their growth over the past few years.
The project comes at the perfect time, but it isn’t just a handful of sloppily made summer rock songs that won’t survive past August. “Nowhere To Be” explores new sounds, thoughtful lyrics and refined production quality that leaves you begging the group for more.
West 22nd will be performing in the Voodoo Room at the House of Blues San Diego on June 17, 2025. Tickets are $17, excluding fees.
Makayla Johnson