An eclectic group of 5 New Yorkers in their mid 20’s who all met at Laguardia High school came together as WHATMORE to release their self titled debut album under Atla Music Group on October 17th 2025. The group consists of Cisco Swank, Yoshi T, Jackson August, Sebastiano ($eb) and Elijah Judah. They blend their unique sounds and musical backgrounds, giving us a taste of what growing up in a city like New York with your best friends feels like. This record includes influences of jazz, hip hop, indie rock, and alternative sounds. Each member has something completely different to contribute. As described in the WHATMORE trailer video, they appear straight off a diversity inclusion counselor’s pamphlet. Their diversity of sound carries throughout the project, and is embraced and mixed into a melting pot of genres. Echoes of introspection, catharsis and masochism are accompanied by great production value, pioneered by the group’s producer.
The record opens with ‘never let go’. A slow tempo, guitar heavy nostalgic nod to friendship. This song felt like a closer, it initially made no sense why it was at the beginning. With lyrics ‘I can feel this coming to an end’ and ‘make believe that we was always goin’ be friends’. It sounds like an ending, reflecting on the album. The subsequent track ‘chicken shop date’ pulls a complete 180 and introduces the listener to the boastful, bragging energy brought by the 5. This is the point. As they leaned into their sonic differences, they also showed no fear in going between harsh and vulnerable subject matter, and completely surface level boy band songs.
Recorded in a house in Pennsylvania during the heat of the summer with no AC, each song started as a 16 bar loop. Their process consisted of writing over each other and then piecing together their ideas like a puzzle. Track 7 ‘go!’ presents itself as an indie/alternative anthem, with a smooth backbeat to the drums accompanied by a harsh timbre of the electric guitar. What got me about this song was the ending. A sudden change in texture, stripping down to only guitar, bass and drums. Cisco Swank has his turn, bringing his Jazz, Gospel and RnB background to everything he touches. His influence is embedded throughout the record through chord extensions and incredibly laid back phrasing. This contribution adds a level of sophistication to an easily consumable album, without feeling pretentious or unnecessary.
Each member of the band is a product of their influences. This is arguably the one drawback of the record. It is difficult to not compare them to who they sound like. You could make a general comparison to BROCKHAMPTON, a boy band with a prolific discography who rose to fame in the 2010’s. What sets WHATMORE apart from this comparison, is their New York identity. As referenced consistently throughout the record as ‘my city’ it is clear that they associate heavily with their cultural identities of where they grew up. It’s very charming and feels personal. It is evident through the group’s successful, authentic first record that they have a long exciting road ahead of them. We can only wait and see what more they will bring us.
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