There’s a different kind of weight that comes with Nowhere, At Last when Broadside have already been the band you keep coming back to. When they’ve been your most listened to, when their older records feel tied to specific versions of your life, a new album doesn’t just land: it gets measured against everything that came before it. And what makes this one hit the way it does is that it doesn’t try to recreate those earlier moments. It grows out of them.
Cherry Red Ego Death opens the album in a way that immediately signals that shift. It’s still recognisably Broadside: bright guitars, a steady push forward but it doesn’t explode the way their older openers might have. Instead, it feels controlled, almost restrained, like the band are choosing to hold something back. That space in the mix gives the vocals more room to land, and it changes the impact. Where earlier material thrived on urgency and emotional spillover, this feels more deliberate, more composed. It’s not less powerful, it just hits in a slower, more considered way.
That sense of intention carries into Nowhere, At Last, which feels like the emotional centre of the album. The sound leans into that modern Broadside balance, layered guitars, steady pacing, a chorus that builds rather than bursts but what really stands out is the atmosphere. There’s a weight to it that feels reflective, almost uncertain, in a way that earlier records didn’t always allow. Compared to something like Paradise, which often aimed for immediacy and polish, this track is more patient. It sits in that in-between space, not trying to resolve itself, and that restraint makes it hit deeper.
Control Freak is where things feel most exposed. It edges slightly heavier, with guitars that carry a bit more bite and a tighter, more tense structure. There’s a sharpness to the way it unfolds, both in the instrumentation and the delivery, that feels more internal than anything on their earlier work. Broadside have always been emotionally direct, but this feels different, it’s less about reacting outward and more about turning that focus inward. That shift gives it a different kind of weight, one that lingers longer than the immediate hook.
Mushroom Cloud expands things in a different direction. It doesn’t rely on a single big moment; instead, it builds gradually, layering its sound until it feels almost overwhelming without ever fully breaking. There’s a scale to it that feels bigger than most of the album, almost cinematic in how it unfolds. It’s a clear step away from the more instant, punchy songwriting of their earlier releases, showing how much the band have leaned into atmosphere and progression over quick impact.
By the time Is This It? closes the album, that sense of restraint comes full circle. There’s no dramatic finish, no attempt to tie everything together neatly. The instrumentation stays consistent, layered, controlled, steady but emotionally, it feels unresolved. Compared to the more definitive endings of past records, this feels intentionally open-ended, like a question left hanging rather than answered. It doesn’t try to give closure, and that makes it feel more honest.
What stands out across these tracks and the album as a whole is how Broadside have shifted their focus. The hooks are still there, the melodies still hit, but they’re not chasing the same kind of immediate payoff. Instead, they’re building songs that sit longer, that unfold more gradually, that trade urgency for weight. Compared to the raw energy of Old Bones or the polished punch of Paradise, Nowhere, At Last feels more reflective, more patient, and more aware of its own space.
Coming from a place where this band already means as much as they do, that shift doesn’t feel like a step away, it feels like something deeper. Like the music has grown in the same direction you have. It doesn’t replace those earlier albums, and it doesn’t try to. It just adds another layer to them. Nowhere, At Last doesn’t hit all at once. It builds, it lingers, and it stays. And when it does, it hits in a way that feels earned.
For fans of: Grayscale, Arrows In Action, The Home Team
‘Nowhere, At Last’ by Broadside is out now on Thriller Records.
Words by Ell Bradbury
