SINGLE REVIEW: Western Parade – Keep Today
Portsmouth’s Western Parade might claim they’ve got no idea what they’re doing, but ‘Keep Today’ suggests otherwise. For a debut single, it lands with serious intent—melancholic, weighty, and brimming with the kind of heart that can’t be faked. Built from a blend of post-punk atmosphere, emo grit, and the melodic edge of late ‘90s and early ‘00s alt-rock, it feels like the result of years spent absorbing the music they love, then putting their own twist on it.
The mood is immediate. Guitars circle with a low-slung urgency, thick with longing but never overworked. The production leaves room for emotion to bleed through—raw vocals sit front and centre, sounding frayed but focused, perfectly suited to the song’s reflective tone. It’s a track about nostalgia, yes, but it doesn’t wallow. Instead, it floats somewhere between hope and regret, chasing the feeling of a day you didn’t want to end.
There’s no sense of a band trying to impress anyone here—they're just laying it all out. That sincerity, paired with sharp instincts, is what makes ‘Keep Today’ hit harder than most first singles manage. It’s moody, melodic, and emotionally open without slipping into cliché. If this is what Western Parade sound like out of the gate, their upcoming EP might be one to watch closely.
