"Where's my crowd? / I wanna win," muses vocalist Peter Jennings on The Western's consistently-evolving single"Reminders," and even if he's not singing about the state of his own act in Chicago's bustling indie scene, they certainly deserve a notch in the W column. Here is a six-piece band with inherent focus on songwriting, texture and dynamics (not flash, filler or volume) that could truly blow up, yet their previous release - 2011's The Damp Times LP - seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle amongst other local output. But no matter, because The Western is all the better for it: their new album On Top of the World and Never Ever Looking Back Again, Ever; Goodbye is far more intricate and groove-based in comparison to the aforementioned discography. On Top of the World is the product of a year-long process of writing and recording that will culminate at Schuba’s Tavern this January."Reminders," sashays around your headphones on a delicately-restrained surf beat, laying low one minute and expanding canyon-wide the next."Captain" opens with a cavalcade of effects, eventually presenting a brilliantly simple chorus, and addressing the protagonist's issues balancing emotions with communication ("I know I ask a lot / But still, here you are / If I'm miserable / Why are you still hanging on?"). In the spirit of these tracks, the other ten showcase a range of sound, yet remain focused in the lo-fi, post-rock realm. Opening tracks “On the Sun,” “Tiny Creatures,” and “Zombie Mom” stir around reminiscent of early Stereolab, while guitar-heavy numbers like “Honey” and “Chris in the Backseat” are akin to gritty Deerhunter and Sonic Youth. The Western’s overall product results in a stellar, multi-layered mix of echo-heavy guitars and vocals that set a mood of enchanting detachment."We are extremely focused on our sound and where it is moving, how the songs fit together, and how each song contributes to our overall sound," says guitarist Ben Larson."Our writing process is very meticulous, and everything we present in a live setting or recording has been dissected (and) reworked multiple times until we find what we want. After almost four years of playing, I think we are just now embodying our sound."When On Top of the World ventures into the psychedelic with “Ray 2” and “Utah Pt. 1,” the full embodiment of this sound becomes clear. The Western’s latest is an interesting mix of world-weary, but powerful tunes that need no additional production or mixing to become huge via popular music blogs.