Black Country, New Road formed in 2018 and quickly earned a reputation as a ferocious live act due to their startlingly unique combination of post-punk, free jazz, klezmer, and math rock, with frontman
Isaac Wood's volatile rants immediately grabbing the audience's attention. Following numerous sold-out concerts, including collaborations with close friends and kindred spirits
black midi, as well as two heavily hyped 7" singles that sold out instantaneously, the London-based septet signed with Ninja Tune and released their debut full-length in early 2021. While documenting the energy of the group's performances during the earliest years of their existence, the album displays a marked evolution from their beginning. Both of the band's initial singles have been reworked, and sound significantly less unhinged and sexually frustrated. "Athens, France" is reminiscent of
Spiderland-esque post-hardcore, but with ethereal saxophone and glistening keyboards elevating the song's mood during its more reflective moments. The post-rock/prog epic "Sunglasses" stretches out to nearly ten minutes, slowly unfolding until a rush of words spill out, culminating with the phrase "the absolute pinnacle of British engineering." After a woozy, horn-smeared breakdown, the band shifts to a more insistent post-punk rhythm, as
Wood nervously affirms his invincibility, dropping several names (
Richard Hell,
Scott Walker,
Kanye) along the way. The more atmospheric "Track X" shows a more vulnerable and romantic side of the group, as
Wood confesses "I got down on my knees, I told you I loved you in front of black midi" over a lovely post-minimalist arrangement for guitar, violin, and saxophone. The album has moments of sheer joy, too, particularly the festive, celebratory klezmer of opening tune "Instrumental" and the rousing peaks of the emotional rollercoaster "Opus." Occasionally the vocals (and the constant name-dropping) become overbearing, but the musicianship is strong and adventurous, taking familiar instrumentation in unexpected directions, and
Black Country, New Road are undeniably original. ~ Paul Simpson