Black Country, New Road -- How A Band Redefines Itself
Words: Yali Sommer
December 8, 2023
Just February of last year, Black Country, New Road released Ants From Up There, one of the most universally acclaimed albums of the past half-decade and every insufferable music nerd’s favorite art rock album. Coming off the release of a modern classic and the untimely departure of their lead vocalist, BCNR still manages to deliver another thrilling project that has lived up to their own impossible standards.
Isaac Wood, former lead singer for BCNR and who most consider to be the catalyst for the critical appeal and widespread success of Ants From Up There, announced his departure from the band just four days before the album’s official release. The timing of this was devastating for BCNR– leading to the cancellation of their planned tour and raising a massive question mark as to the future of the band. Most bands can’t survive this kind of loss –we’ve seen it time and time again: the dissolution of One Direction following Zane’s dramatic egress, the immediate death of Nirvana after, well, the immediate death of Kurt Cobain, or the complete collapse of N.W.A as soon as Ice Cube left. As a big fan of both Ants From Up There and For the First Time (BCNR’s previous, previous album), I felt highly skeptical as to whether the band would be able to sustain their identity and release music that felt even a sliver as magical as their previous works without what had essentially been the “heart” of their performances up to that point.
Going Live: BCNR Reinvent Themselves
When faced with as drastic a change as your lead vocalist ditching you right in the midst of your ascent into stardom, a band must take bold decisions and make big changes in order to maintain excellence. In this case, BCNR decided not to find a replacement for Wood, opting instead to have other band members take up additional major vocal roles. By doing so, Black Country, New Road were able to preserve auditory cohesion with their past work while still creating a new sound unique to their newest album. This takes us to the other major adjustment that BCNR chose to make: electing to perform and record their album Live at Bush Hall in front of a live audience during one of their shows. Personally, I have never been a big fan of live albums, as I generally prefer studio versions with better mixing and sound quality. However, due to excellent audio engineering and an otherworldly recording job, Live at Bush Hall’s sound quality is nearly indistinguishable from that of any studio-grade album. The entire recording sounds crisp and sharp, with noticeable spatial distinction between each individual instrument used throughout the live session.
While Isaac’s absence is undeniably felt at points throughout Live at Bush Hall, the wider array of vocalists leads to a more diverse and overall interesting soundscape. Lewis Evans, the band’s saxophonist and flutist, is the most direct successor to Isaac’s sound– emulating much of his style but inevitably lacking the intensity that made Isaac irreplaceable. Lewis handles the lead vocals for two of the album’s nine songs, one of which is my personal favorite of the whole project: “Across the Pond Friend”. While I absolutely adore both of Lewis’ tracks, it's really the other two vocalists, May and Tyler, that define the tone and emotional peaks of the album. May Kershaw, BCNR’s pianist, brings a folky sound to her songs that is completely distinct from anything the band had released before. May’s incredible voice control allows her to deliver intentionally shaky-sounding yet extremely powerful performances that are flooded with emotion and feel incredibly human. The best example of this is on the album’s 7th song, “Turbines/Pigs,” where May’s ability to effectively convey delicacy through her singing manages to give me goosebumps on every listen. Lastly, Tyler Hyde, guitarist and bassist, replaces Isaac as the new heart of the band, consistently delivering memorable and potent verses every single time she takes the lead on a song. From the opening track “Up Song,” to the emotional rollercoaster that is “Dancers,” and finally “Up Song”’s reprise at the end of the album, Tyler is the driving force in redefining BCNR’s sound.
Last month I had the opportunity to see Black Country, New Road perform LaBH in Boston. Seeing the album executed right in front of my eyes was simply a one-of-one experience and the best concert I have ever been to. While I believe I had more than enough reason to be anxious for the future of the band, Live at Bush Hall has completely dispelled any doubt I might’ve had and then some. For those of us who are fans, it's comforting to know that Black Country, New Road will continue releasing incredible music for the foreseeable future, and for those who aren’t fans, take this as a sign to start listening as soon as possible. While you may have missed out on the chance to experience the “Isaac Age”, this new chapter of Black Country, New Road will undeniably be a joy to listen to as they continue to release era-defining music.