6th November 2023
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When lead vocalist, guitarist and master craftsman, Isaac Wood, announced his departure from Black Country, New Road just days before their sophomore album release ‘Ants From Up There’, many were left with questions about what direction the band might take without one of the key pieces of their puzzle. When audiences were then greeted with the ‘Live at Bush Hall’ release in 2023, things looked good. The band had clearly opted to retire their older releases in favour of adopting a new sound, one driven by contributions from the band as a whole rather than solely Wood.
While moments on this record did feel somewhat disjointed, as if the band hadn’t entirely got to grips with their new identity, it was a positive marker for the future. Fast forward to 2025 and the band have treated us to 11 new songs which add up to a meaty 52 minute run time. And just like at Bush Hall, they certainly won’t be resting on their laurels anytime soon.
Beginning as they mean to go on, the opening track and lead single ‘Besties’ offers a brief window for one to observe just how much change the art-rock outfit have undergone in just a few years. The track opens with a delightfully light harpsichord before thundering into their now-signature cacophony of sound, melodically expressed with a dancing saxophone line. The previously mentioned harpsichord and accompanying banjo dominate the instrumentation on this track, standing out as the newest arrivals to an ever-growing repertoire.
‘The Big Spin’ follows, a track that certainly makes one feel like they’re being spun around – numerous jumps in pace and a vocal line which leaps and dives with the piano before quietly petering out are just some features. While it may not present too much on first listen, further examination pairs the tune with the playful, neo-Renaissance style that we saw on ‘Besties’ with lyrics like “Chopped off your beautiful purple hair/But we had to make room for the living, the living room” and “You fetch the apples, I’ll bake the pie. Such lines start to hint at general themes we see later on the album; a yearning for a simpler, almost storybook life without the untold stresses of a modern world and an emphasis on companionship.
While ‘Ants From Up There’ presented us with a level of angst enough to make anyone burst, ‘Forever Howlong’ takes a gentler approach to dealing with modern life. Some of this can surely be attributed to the change in songcraft – the band have opted for a three-pronged approach, with Georgia Ellery, Tyler Hyde and May Kershaw all now chipping in and lending their talents to the microphone. ‘Socks’ is a Tyler Hyde penned song, featuring similarities with ‘The Big Spin’ in its lyrical representation of contemporary anxieties, “How many things can one read ‘til they feel/ they’re not afraid of it all?” and also with ‘Besties’, with its representation of companionship “Life is good/And I feel understood/Do you? If you don’t, let me know”.
Vocal delivery on many of these tracks can be seen as one of the major changes from the band’s previous works. With an all-female singing cast, one could clearly expect changes in the tone of tracks, which additionally alters the mood conjured by them. In an interview with Anthony Fantano on YouTube, Ellery says “Obviously we have higher range voices, so that makes it higher in tone”. As previously mentioned, ‘Socks’ features a mix of slightly more despondent lyrics and some optimistic, earnest ones, but the lighter and more spirited delivery combined with the twee-baroque arrangement serves to balance these counteracting feelings.
Moving forward, the album then presents ‘Salem Sisters’, a beautifully melodic song that is spearheaded by arpeggiated guitars, a creeping mandolin and the frolicking saxophone of Lewis Evans. The vocal harmonies are on full display here, adding to create a tone that makes this one of the only properly danceable Black Country, New Road songs (an effect which does not go amiss).
‘Two Horses’ is perhaps the strongest representation we’ve seen yet of full baroque-ness; a troubadour tune at heart, with lyrics that describe “A faraway traveller” meeting both thieves and gentlemen, neither proving to be any nicer than the other, as the supposed hero to our heroine betrays her viciously. What really stands out here, though, is the change in song structure. From a lonesome ballad (with some beautifully bittersweet vocals) to a fast, 16-beat on the hi-hat adding to the sense of stealth we get from the lyrics. Despite the sadness of the tale, this is an exuberant, crashing tune that keeps you on edge the whole way through.
‘Mary’ carries an easy, gentle sway to it with an airy flute coming in towards the end to round off the work done by the rest of the band. While the harmonies flow elegantly, this is perhaps the most downbeat track on the album thus far. Track 7 entitled ‘Happy Birthday’ was one I couldn’t make my mind up on at release, being the second single presented. Since then, I’ve sufficiently warmed to it. Here, we get a bit more punch, something that can be seen to have been lacking up to this point. The band seem to be leaning more into their pop sensibilities here too, with the electric guitar marching the song on for its snappy 4 minute run time (yes, 4 minutes can be snappy).
The last single before release, ‘For the Cold Country’ certainly stakes its claim as one of the most personal and authentic tracks released recently. Even in the opening vocal harmonies, one can’t help but get sucked in – just like the piano that adorns Bush Hall’s ‘Turbines/Pigs’, with both tracks being written by the matchless May Kershaw.
The quiet joy of companionship is further explored here. Just as the drums begin to build after the ballad’s delicate intro, we’re greeted with the bittersweet lines “Can I make a cup of coffee?/Can I sit down next to you?/But just to be here with you, be with you”. Just like many of the rest, this track rises and falls, reaching crescendo before letting it go. And just like many of the rest, this song finds itself hard to define. No, it’s not just a sad song. And no, it’s not quite a happy song. It’s both and neither and much, much more.
Such unique structure and instrumentation has always been a feature of BC,NR’s work, an element of their songcraft which gives real, individual life to each song. And that might not be on better display anywhere in this album but here. It’s hard to define exactly what makes this track so compelling, but it’s there.
‘Nancy Tries to Take the Night’ furthers what we’ve already seen from this album, really picking up steam about three and a half minutes in, where some late-age Radiohead-styled drums match the pace of the returning flute. While this moment is quite fun, the song does feel like it loses its train of thought come the ending, before drifting away.
The titular track ‘Forever Howlong’ and ‘Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)’ round out the album, adding final touches of ‘Britishness’ with lines like “I shall boil some beans” featured on the former. Both tracks seem to know their place in the running order, choosing slower, more refrained identities. Even the cymbals on the latter seem muted, as if they know they’re on the way out.
All in all, this album presents surprises around every corner. Such a gutsy hit out at a new style, even when it doesn’t quite reach every height, has to be applauded. From its lyrical presentation of real, unique experience, to the dashing and daring arrangements, there really does seem to be something for everyone here. Any way around it, the future looks bright for this lot.
Watch Anthony Fantano’s interview with the band here.
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Header image belongs to Lewis Webb.
