High praise has been thrown at them with abandon but how does Black Country, New Road’s debut album fare?
It is hard not to meet hype with cynicism sometimes. I guess it is a way of managing expectations, or perhaps trying to stand out against the flow of conversation, to be different, to be against the grain. When a band is called the ‘best in the world’ by a voice in music I love and respect (John Doran/The Quietus), I was filled with lofty expectation, but also a desire to be contrary.
I listened to their initial releases and thoroughly enjoyed them, with Sunglasses getting several replays. They reminded me of some of my favourite groups growing up, notably Oxbow, Slint, Tortoise, or other acts in that post-rock/math-rock smorgasbord. I really liked them although I suppose it felt a bit frustrated at their mass support whilst the brilliance of the acts they channeled (particularly Oxbow) were left to the fringes. This is probably more my ego coming into play than anything else (I heard this first mate, years ago kinda thing). Because Black Country, New Road have undoubtedly released a fantastic album, and they are now one of my favourite new bands out there.
For The First Time achieves what it intended, capuring a band’s existence at a specific epoch. This is BC,NR in their exciting formative years, an exhilarating live act whose spontaneity and youthful freedom feels invigorating. The record envelopes so many sonic territories it is hard to keep track. From klezmer skronk, to free jazz excursions, or stream-of-consciousness Mark E Smith-esque poetic ramblings battling against the post-hardcore/post-rock of the aforementioned bands. I could go on and on with the different elements the band manage to convey. But that would be a disservice, as BC,NR manage to meld all these sounds into a unique voice of their own and it is truly one of the most interesting releases I’ve heard in a while.
The album is undoubtedly a cohesive whole, but each track feels like it offers a different dimension to the band’s sound. From melancholy ballads of young love, to a slow building dismissal of tired tradition, before unleashing youthful energy and freedom, it is all there. A particular highlight is he final track, Opus, and it does what it says on the tin. A final magnum opus of unbridled exuberance, charging into the future distance. It falls back here and there, into solemn strumming and mournful melodies. Yet they continue to progress into a fantastic climax, showcasing a band that have truly come together as one entity. “Everybody’s coming up, I guess I’m a little late to the party” is vocalist Isaac Woods’ refrain, before they fall into a dissolution of beautiful chaos.
I guess I wanted to say For The First Time didn’t meet my overly-high expectations. However, it did, and then some. Black Country, New Road’s debut is an album full of celebration of themselves as artists, and it is glorious to behold.
Noise Compendium 