Black Country, New Road Stand Strong in Forever Howlong -

By Tim McGuire

The British pop-rock band Black Country, New Road (BCNR) have made a remarkable splash in online music forums in the last five years. Their debut album, For the first time, caught everyone’s attention, and their sophomore hit, Ants From Up There, received mountains of critical praise. However, doubts for their future rose when their lead singer, Isaac Wood, announced his departure from the band shortly before the release of Ants From Up There. Despite this, the band proved to be intact by releasing their live album Live at Bush Hall, but all eyes were on Forever Howlong: their first studio album without Wood as their frontman.

One of the biggest draws of the band is their unique sound, which they still proudly sport and mess around with. Two notable excerpts are found in “Besties” and “Two Horses.” “Besties” is the opening track, welcoming fans and newcomers alike with a warm, familiar blend of guitars, brass, and woodwinds. This is particularly effective since the opener serves as one of the group’s less complex songs. “Two Horses” brings some country into the mix for one of the best highlights on the album. It starts out relatively simple, but builds up on the energy as the song’s story proceeds, climaxing as the cowboy the singer has met ends up betraying her. Mixing country influences into their style was not expected, but it was incredibly well done.

Speaking of the stories in the album, BCNR continues their rich songwriting habits, for better or for worse. On one hand, you have songs like “For The Cold Country,” a beautifully written ballad using the imagery of knights and kites to portray vulnerability and opening up to others. The messages are poetically written, yet easy to understand: But I think I’d like to be a little lighter/ I could try to throw off the iron helmet.

On the other hand, you have songs like “The Big Spin,” which have interesting connotations, but ultimately fail to connect due to the vagueness of the lyrics. In an interview with Stereogum, vocalist/keyboardist May Kershaw, explains: “God, that was so vague…it’s a very specific thing that happened in my life.” While the personal sentiment is appreciated, the hidden messages make a disconnect with listeners, as if a secret is being kept by the band.

Combining the elements of the songwriting and sound bring up interesting choices from the band. “Salem Sisters” and “Nancy Tries to Take the Night” have (mostly) upbeat sounds, but rather deep subject matters, with the former being a comparison to the infamous Salem Witch Trials and the latter about an unwanted pregnancy. The juxtaposition of the sounds with the content makes it difficult to tell how they want the audience to feel. While the conflict is interesting, it fails to make a compelling reason for such an intense juxtaposition as this.

When listening to the closing song on Forever Howlong, “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me),” the lush sounds of love make me wonder: what is this album about? It sounds great musically, and BCNR’s pen-game is as masterful as ever, but there seems to be a lack of cohesive topics. The variety is impressive and deserves to be lauded but it leaves the album without a string to connect it all together outside of the sound. If I were to make a guess, it would be the human experience; a cliché, yes, but what are humans if not imperfect and diverse? Regardless, BCNR have proven themselves a force to be reckoned with yet again.