Our team had the privilege to be one of the first people to listen to West Union’s debut album On The Run, set to be released on the 11th of October, year 2024.
Before we talk about their debut album, let us first provide a little background about the band. Formed last 2019, West Union was originally created under the name “Buzzard Roost”. The founding members were comprised of Sam Mushaben on guitar, Eric Treinen on bass, and Liam Whyte on guitar and vocals. However, it was not until 2023 that the members of the now-coined “West Union” would pick their instruments back up and begin reworking those old tunes from 2019. This time around, they are joined by Josh Miles on drums and Jack Otten on guitar.
On The Run is an album containing nine songs in its track line-up. This album wallows in the genre of alternative rock, perfect for any kind of situation ― either you need a pick-me-upper or a relaxing record to listen to while doing your chores and responsibilities. In a shared statement coming from the band, this debut album aims to focus on different things from which we as living beings may be running away from, namely Love, Solitude, The Future, and The Past. The album was divided into three acts to serve as plot points from a story that the album was trying to tell.
The first three songs act as the first chapter: Forming, The Flood, and Stargate. These three songs focus on departing from someone. Supported by the heavily emotional instrumentals, this first part of the album focuses on the themes of grief and lost love, also stating themes on how to deal with them and how to grapple with them. These tracks appeal to those who need support in exploring these new emotions that might hinder their mental and emotional peace. We know it’s hard to face foreign feelings and these songs might be of help.
Moving on to the second phase, still submerged in the same alt-rock instrumentals and vocals, three songs are a part of this second chapter which deals with the themes of reminiscing related to the first chapter of the story which in this case are the first three songs in the album. This strategy of storytelling is what makes this album more enchanting to listen to. The second part of the album contains the songs Briarwood, Polyseek, and Ambedo.
For the album’s third part, which also serves as its conclusion, focuses on the arrival at a destination somewhere. With West Union being in a much more literal sense, it is about a 2019 trip to West Union, Ohio. Dove is the arrival to peace after the chaos of West Union. And Shades of Blue and Green is finally arriving at Love. It is like being in a final destination after being in the pursuit of different stuff in different places. It feels as though you were given a place to rest after a long journey in the past. This third part offers you a crib to succumb yourself to.
An easter egg to find beneath the album? The phrase On The Run was mentioned at least once in every act in the album. This is a little surprise for the listeners and it makes the running themes and motifs cohesive throughout the album. The band shared that each song is deliberately placed within the tracklist to help tell a cohesive story. “We’re all running from something,” they explained, “and we believe there’s a piece of all of us in this album. We truly hope you connect with it as much as we have.”
This album is such a pleasing record to listen to, first, because of its cohesiveness, second, because of its instrumentals, and lastly, because of the minds and the talent behind it. The band really poured their heart and passion into this album and that in itself is worth the appreciation. Their heart and soul were bared through this album, which makes it more beautiful and genuine.
If you also want to experience this beauty, you might want to wait for its release on October 11, 2024 on your favorite music streaming platforms. You might also want to support the band by following them on their social media accounts.
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About the Author
Angel Mariah Rodiel – Mari to the people she’s fond of – is a BA Literature student currently studying in Central Luzon State University. Writing, arts, and music are some of the things she’s been most passionate about ever since she was a kid. Mari’s little dream is to build a band that will open for Paramore’s concert someday. Pop-punk and alternative rock are her comfort music genres, K-pop and J-rock comes close as third and fourth.
