Album review: Broadside – Nowhere, At Last

Broadside ponder some big questions on Nowhere, At Last, the biggest of all being what is the meaning of our time here. The Virginia-based quartet’s new album still retains a certain glimmering optimism despite its philosophical angles, with their brand of sticky sweet pop-rock mixing heaviness with electronic elements akin to Bring Me The Horizon but with twice the E numbers.

Even when its lyrics get gloomy its sound and spirit remains high. Is it possible to be horny and afraid at the same time? Apparently so, with Warning Signs exploring red flags and toxicity while still alive with sexy swagger and teenybopper-esque guitar. Control Freak follows suit, which is just as springy as it is bitterly honest, with vocalist Oliver Baxxter exclaiming, ‘Feel your hands around my throat / You just want attention.’

When not getting rizzy with it or taking aim at toxic situationships, Broadside ponder mushroom clouds and impending doom, and somehow manage to fit these in among their high-energy sound without them seeming out of place. There’s an aspect of being in it together, or a desire to run away from all the ugliness with a significant other or chosen tribe, which glues all of the chaos and wonder of this record together.

Blissed Out, again delivering that same sonic euphoria, sees Oliver sharing what it means to purposefully choose peace over self-sabotage, and on closer Is This It?, he dives into wanting more and remaining hopeful, supported by a group chant of ‘don’t kick the chair from underneath me’. It concludes Nowhere, At Last like a closing nightclub, with lights hitting and reality setting in.

This album is of course not a work of Shakespearean brilliance, but is a refreshing, feel-good listen. If fun tracks that are existential at times are your bag, then this is for you.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Chase Atlantic, The Home Team, The Maine

Nowhere, At Last is released on April 10 via Thriller