Album of the Week #6
A Snapshot Of Modernity, Paranoia, & Chaos.
Reviewing Black Country, New Road’s debut album, For the first time.
Black Country, New Road has had a long and anticipated history. Borne out of the remnants of Nervous Conditions, and frequent collaborators with fellow Cambridge-based group Black Midi, the London-based septet has spent much of their career shrouded in animosity and suspense.
For the first time marks their first studio release and debut album, but the tracks themselves have existed for months in a variety of fan compilations and bootleg live recordings, eagerly followed by fans who had been expecting formality to their speculation. As secretive as it is shining, For the first time is an album that deserves the hype it gets, if only for how disorientating it is.
At its core, BC, NR’s debut is a strange blend of post-punk, free jazz and experimental rock. At times, it can be disturbing, dripping with dystopia; literal and sinister. There is chaos and fluidity to these especially long tracks often shifting from very poignant and introspective analogies to barrages of instrumental noise.
Isaac Wood’s lyrics are tinged with these modern-day, youthful and abstract soliloquies. While seemingly nonsensical, they read like a slide show of thoughts and emotions about the current state of the world. Science Fair is an excellent example of how Wood weaves between verses, opening with a recollection of how he met a girl at the Cambridge Science Fair who was surprised by how many things he set on fire, switching to this rather self-critical thought of “still living with my mother, where I move on from one micro-influencer to another”; a nod to this millennial age and the reality of isolation.
Athens, France also has this theme of direct lyricism almost laid out as spoken word. Though it is carried by this central motif that gives the song a film noir feel. I find it sounds like something Interpol would put out, complete with the sparse, static guitar riffs, and straight rhythms that are reminiscent of New York post-punk, if only a bit more upbeat.
Regarding the instrumentality of For the first time, it is eccentric above all. At times, this record seems built to be uncomfortable; the sweeping improvisational bridges and the dissonant clash of woodwinds and horns are powerful and overwhelming, especially in the songs Instrumental and Opus.
There are also elements of shoegaze, with this fuzzy and ferocious feel which is especially prevalent at the beginning of Sunglasses. This song also seems to draw inspiration from King Krule, with Wood’s crooning voice sounding akin to Archy Marshall’s as he belts out “I am so ignorant now with all that I’ve learnt”. It is these short ideas that really emphasize the message behind For the first time; the revelations of young musicians who have dealt with a tumultuous past and desire for a better future.
A response to years of anticipation, frustration and the bleak perspective that we have to look forward to today, For the first time is raw, perplexing and incredibly stirring that deserves the bated breaths that waited so long for its release. Blending intense instrumentals with snapshots of modernity, Black Country, New Road have placed themselves squarely in a league of their own. I’m intrigued to see what follows their debut and look forward to the emotions that come with it.
Fav Tracks: Science Fair, Sunglasses, Track X
You can listen to the album on Bandcamp and Spotify
This is a weekly series I’m doing to help me think more critically about the music I listen to and get better at writing about it. These selections are suggestions from friends and random recommendations, with a focus on newer releases. Any and all feedback/suggestions/artists you want me to cover is welcome and appreciated!
