After the departure of their previous vocalist and guitarist Issac Woods, there was a lingering question over where Black Country, New Road would take their music. After all, Ants from Up There was quite a heavy hitter in the post-rock scene, being an indie darling in itself. If there was one thing that was guaranteed, it was that the rest of the band had some big shoes to fill. However, I am here to tell you that their recent release, Forever Howlong, is quite an apt follow up from their Bush Hall performances, even if I am hesitant to say it surpasses AFUT.
The debut single from this album “Besties” is admittedly a departure from the more recognizable sound of their previous works, but it is difficult to ignore the baroque roots that are clearly present, even if they end up being slightly drowned out by the more initially upbeat lyrics. However, I would argue that one of the songs where this album truly shines is the third and final single that they released prior to this album’s release: “For the Cold Country”. It is on this track that the complexity of this album shines, the song invoking a sort of unusual knightly energy that I was aching to hear more of on the final release, though admittedly that may be some of this reviewer’s fantastical preferences leaking into their musical taste. However, I would be remiss if I did not mention a personal favorite of mine of this album as well. “Salem Sisters” is an interesting auditory experience, a story of a summer barbecue beautifully punctuated by rising and falling instrumentation, leaving me hooked from the moment the song started.
Obviously, I need to address the elephant in the room once again: the comparison to AFUT. This album does achieve its own unique highs, however it does seem that this album is occasionally fearful of indulging the more grandiose aspects of itself. It's almost fearful of the more orchestral elements that litter its songs, and I would argue that those moments bring the most beauty to their music. While I would be hesitant to declare this an album of the year, especially with the wide berth of projects on the slate for the backend of it, but I must say that this collection of songs leaves me quite excited for what’s next.