After three years, the art-rock band Black Country, New Road has added another stellar project to its catalog.
2022 was a tumultuous year for the UK-based outfit. Following a well-received debut, the band released their sophomore album, “Ants From Up There.” The record became one of the most critically-acclaimed projects of the decade, with two of the largest music reviewing websites, rateyourmusic.com and albumoftheyear.com, having it as the highest rated album of the year.
On the other hand, 2022 saw the departure of lead singer and head songwriter Isaac Wood from the band just days before “Ants From Up There” released. Wood’s raw vocals and blunt songwriting style had defined the band, and many wondered if they would lose direction with his loss.
Thankfully, “Forever Howlong” eliminates those fears. The band sounds just as fantastic as ever.
Rather than designating a new lead singer, the vocals on “Forever Howlong” are shared between the band’s three female members, Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery and May Kershaw. The three fill the role exceptionally, and their chemistry is apparent throughout the record.
The opening track and lead single, “Besties,” opens on a harpsichord progression before launching into the expansive, brass-supported sound Black Country, New Road has become known for. “The Big Spin” features frenetic guitars driving the track’s instrumentation. The song shifts between an explosive and soft sound with incredible dexterity.
“Forever Howlong” has more songs comfortable with quiet instrumentation than any other Black Country, New Road Album. “Mary” is the album’s most subdued track, containing little more than an acoustic guitar, with haunting vocal harmonies between all three singers. The title track trades horns for woodwinds, resulting in one of the lightest sounding songs in the band’s catalog.
The band is known for expansive soundscapes over long tracks, and “Forever Howlong” is no different, with four songs longer than six minutes. “Socks” takes a long time to get going, before ramping up the instrumentation in the second half.
“Two Horses” features a killer hi-hat transition between the two halves of the song. “Nancy Tries to Take the Night” is one of the more traditional rock songs on the project, and never quite hits the high point you might think it builds to.
This cannot be said about “For the Cold Country.” The track has a truly cinematic sound, with one of the most cathartic builds and explosions of production in any song I’ve ever heard. The song displays the band’s exceptional control of structure, featuring multiple tempo changes and a ridiculous amount of instrumentation.
There’s no other band that can so routinely produce songs that sound this grand.
Black Country, New Road may be the one artist incapable of making a bad album. The band is a collaboration of six musical geniuses, all with masterful knowledge of song structure. All of these songs could have absolutely no vocals and would still make for a very engaging listen.
With this band, the floor is so high that when they hit their ceiling, it’s some of the greatest music you’ve ever heard. Black Country, New Road at their worst would be almost any other artist’s best.
“Forever Howlong” doesn’t quite hit the high point of its predecessor, and the band is still finding its footing post-Wood. But this probably is the worst they’ll ever sound, and it’s still one of the best albums of the year.
If there were any worries that the band may take a step back, “Forever Howlong” proves they will always keep moving forward.
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