Album of the Week: Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong
The last time British collective Black Country, New Road released an album, it coincided with the departure of their vocalist and principal lyricist, Isaac Wood. Having recorded For the First Time (2021) and Ants From Up There (2022)—two critically acclaimed albums with Wood at the helm—the band had been heralded as one of the most exciting new acts to emerge from England. So when they suddenly lost Wood’s influential presence, the question loomed: What now? Many assumed they would call it a day. That notion was put to rest in 2023 with the release of Live at Bush Hall, a collection of songs performed by the newly reconfigured six-piece. Now, with Forever Howlong, the band delivers their first proper studio-recorded follow-up to Ants From Up There.
Produced by James Ford (known for his work with Fontaines D.C. and many others), Forever Howlong is a markedly different proposition from its predecessors. Wood’s self-deprecating lyricism and distinctive sprechgesang vocal style had been defining features of the band’s early sound. Free from that framework, the band takes a more musically and thematically eclectic approach.
The album opens with Besties, sung by Georgia Ellery—by far the most pop-oriented and commercially accessible track BC,NR has ever released. Lush, elaborate instrumentation and chipper harpsichords that jitter and jangle create an undeniably summery atmosphere, while upbeat, triumphant harmonies support Ellery’s delicate but commanding lead vocal. Besties could be described as twee, but not in a pejorative sense—rather, it follows in the great lineage of British artists who revel in whimsy, from The Kinks, The Beatles, and Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd to XTC and Belle & Sebastian.
Lyrically and thematically, the album frequently dwells on the personal, the conversational, and the intimate, fostering a sense of unity within the group. Forever Howlong feels like a project crafted with minimal outside influence—a creative vacuum, yet one overflowing with internal ingenuity and camaraderie.
Despite Besties being an excellent opening track, it’s not fully representative of the album as a whole. The next three tracks—The Big Spin, Socks, and Salem Sisters—lay out the band’s newly explored sonic terrain. For fans of the first two records, adjusting to this shift can be challenging at first. But after a few full listens, these songs start to take shape within the album’s broader framework. They showcase the band’s commitment to expansive, full-band baroque folk, rich with instrumentation—mandolin, saxophone, slide guitar, timpani, accordion, and violin—resulting in a sound that is far removed from traditional rock. Instead, these tracks constantly evolve, shifting unpredictably with mischievous melodic twists, turns, and exuberant instrumental flourishes.
As Salem Sisters makes way for Georgia Ellery’s Two Horses, the album enters an extraordinary middle section. This is BC,NR at their absolute peak, reaching the lofty heights hinted at by For the First Time and Ants From Up There. The equally brilliant Mary, sung by Tyler Hyde, follows, while her Joanna Newsom-esque Happy Birthday stands out as one of the album’s most musically expansive and emotionally resonant moments—one that echoes the band’s earlier intensity. Meanwhile, May Kershaw’s tender For the Cold Country ranks among the group’s finest recorded work. Both tracks are audaciously ambitious, featuring dreamy, proggy passages and intricate interludes that take the songs down unexpected avenues. Shifting from quiet to loud, and breezy to moody in an instant, these are compositions that evolve in real time—songs that continue to astonish with each listen.
Forever Howlong is a bold, ambitious, and impressive reinvention—one that definitively separates BC,NR from the crowded field of post-punk-inspired bands. Even Live at Bush Hall didn’t fully foreshadow the depth and scope of what they achieve here. The fact that they managed to capture this sound on record, after the uncertainty that loomed three years ago, is nothing short of astounding.
With a newfound democracy among band members, each musician has the space to contribute and shine. It’s an album that carves out a new path for BC,NR. To where? Who knows. Maybe even the band doesn’t fully know. But in the hands of Black Country, New Road, that uncertainty isn’t a weakness—it’s precisely what makes them so compelling.
