"The other day I stood up and screamed from the bottom of my heart. My guts, my throat, and my chest, were all torn apart. Wake up my sweet darling. Get your ass out of bed. My heart is failing. Pretty soon I'll be dead." Much like their sound, the lyrics on Western Fifth's debut album are lonesome and haunting. During the season where the flowers bloom in Minnesota, the group locked themselves in Fur Seal Studio in Minneapolis. The result? "Stand Like A Thief". Just in time for the long, cold winter. "Stand Like A Thief" displays the band's ability to create a steadfast vision and translate it effectively to tape. There seems to be some sort of a concept going on here though lead singer Ryan Holweger modestly declines "Not really a concept. We didn't intentionally set out to do a concept album." Contrary to the triptych of songs "We've got the rain", "(today)", and "I am not cold anymore". Even read together, there appears to be a theme. The album has a unique blend of confidence and defiance; lonliness and acceptance. A great and almost erie listen from beginning to end. Since their inception in 2006, Western Fifth has released a self-titled ep, toured various cities in the Midwest and Southern United States, and more importantly, earned a devoted local fanbase. Now set to release "Stand Like A Thief", Western Fifth are ready to share their refined sound to a wider audience.
1) We've Got the Rain
2) Hello Goodnight
3) In the End I Went Away
4) Wait Until Dark (A Good Time to Shine)
5) Smiles of Gold
6) (Today)
7) A Matter of Principle
8) Madeline
9) Revolving Door Blues (A Good Time to Fall)
10) 100 Broken Angels
11) I Will Keep You Warm
12) I Am Not Cold Anymore