ALBUM REVIEW: Nowhere, At Last – Broadside
BROADSIDE have been on an upwards trajectory their entire career, with every development landing them perfectly where they need to be for their fifth studio album, Nowhere, At Last. Emerging from their pop-punk roots, the band dramatically changed their sound with 2020s Into The Raging Sea, further pushed themselves with Hotel Bleu three years later, and signed to Thriller Records in 2025. They have been steadily growing their fanbase, and although in some ways they are a ‘love them or hate them’ kind of band, it’s pretty undeniable that they’ve found their sound. The expectations are high with this latest release, and all factors point to this album possibly being their best yet.
Cherry Red Ego Death (as well as being an immaculate song title) is a really strong opening track, perfectly setting the tone for the album. While it can at times follow an almost typical formula for modern alternative music, there are little elements that set it apart. With the vulnerability that BROADSIDE have always had down to an art and a catchy chorus, it works well. The title track is equally as strong, with a chorus that you’d probably want to dance to, and some existentialism, for balance, of course. There seems to be a bit of a shift with the next two, Warning Signs and Control Freak, where the lyricism takes a different turn. While there’s objectively nothing wrong with the topics of discussion, and BROADSIDE have written some incredible songs about relationships in the past, something about the lyrics here don’t personally land here. A positive is the vocals, and Baxxter’s voice seems to be made for the more pop melodies.
From Dead Roses onwards, the album generally only improves, returning to the personal exploration. There’s a message of trying really hard to pull yourself back from something difficult, which is so touching and such a beautiful perspective, making this song an easy personal favourite. The chorus is simple but means so much, and towards the end, you can really hear so much emotion in the vocals, which just make the song even more impactful. Someone You Need packs a similar punch, with yearning at 100% and that same desperation and sadness, which the band have always been so good at. Mushroom Cloud scratches every itch an early fan of the band could have, somehow sounding incredibly classic BROADSIDE with all their new discoveries. The little techno beats make the song so fun, the lyrics are simplistic but so well written and the guitars towards the end bring lots of personality.
Weirdly, many of the songs can only be described as ‘groovy’, which is a compliment. I Think They Know feels like a fresh perspective, with the trippy sound reflecting the stressful, hallucinogenic vibes of the lyrics. The last two songs on the album go a bit deeper, and What Are You Leaving Behind? is gut wrenching at times. Is This It? brings us back down, with existential questioning and the sound to match.
Generally, you can know what to expect with BROADSIDE, but that isn’t to say they don’t do what they do extremely well. Nowhere, At Last fits in perfectly with the current climate of alternative music, and the EDM influence sets this record apart from everything else.
Rating: 7/10
Nowhere, At Last is out now via Thriller Records.
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