Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There (Album Review)
Tuesday, 15 March 2022
Written by Jessica Howkins
Photo: Rosie Fletcher
The whiplash changes and complex time signatures of jazz can be disorienting and confusing when sewn into rock structures. But London septet Black Country, New Road have always been different. Their 2021 debut ‘For The First Time’ was a dizzying feast, and on ‘Ants From Up There’, we see the band step back and refine their sound.
Still infused with jazz tones and melodies, the band have scaled the chaos back. Now, the sounds trickle and ebb, becoming more soulful and relaxed. We are able to sit and really examine how unique Isaac Wood’s voice is. It’s harsh, rough, and it sounds as experienced as that of a man who has gone through every journey life has to offer.
The accompanying sounds in Concorde, Bread Song and The Place Where He Inserted The Blade wrap around his vocals in a smooth and delicate fashion.
Wood takes the instrumentation by the hand and leads it into a place that only few others have been able to venture to.
Where they will go from here, following his departure from the band just prior to the album’s release, is unknown. But it will be a tall order if anyone is going to step into his shoes.
‘Ants From Up There’ is not an album where you can quickly jump in and out, picking and choosing which song you want to add to your playlist. It’s one that is meant to be indulged in from start to finish with no distractions.
The sound of the band overall is more mature and refined—they’ve incorporated everything that made their debut successful and left behind the elements that distracted from the excitement that came with the perfect blend. This is a bittersweet masterpiece, a stunning album tainted with the loss of one of the key figures in its creation.
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