There is no band without its lead singer. There is no Nirvana without Kurt Cobain. There is no Queen without Freddie Mercury. There is no Velvet Underground without Lou Reed. The lead singer or songwriter doesn’t always define a band, but a lot of times, they do. Occasionally, when said member passes or leaves, the band will try to find somebody new, and sometimes they will form a new band all together. Black Country, New Road proves that some bands can reach new heights even after the loss of a vital member.
For every garage band that there was in the 1990s or 2000s, there are now a plethora more digitally-producing solo-artists. With audio-engineering technology becoming democratized and with the introduction of the internet, it seems the old way of making music is obsolete. Gone are the days of bands and session musicians and albums.
Everything is about making one catchy song that will appear on Spotify playlists or used in a TikTok trend. So it is a feat in itself for a new band to release their third studio album in 2025, and for that album to be one of the best and most unique albums of the year. The United Kingdom-based band Black Country, New Road (BCNR) have done the unthinkable with their new album “Forever Howlong.”
It is a masterful unique work of art. Drawing inspiration from the kind of Frank Zappa-inspired progressive rock that the band became known for with their debut album, and mixing influences from a plethora of baroque and chamber pop artists, the album is like if the Pixies made music for the renaissance fair.
It has a kind of medieval feel that singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom seems to pull off well — which never feels cringe-worthy or “costume-y” —and always perfectly suits the unique tone of the artwork. The sound of harps, harpsichords and choral arrangement are at the root of this sound. The mixtures of styles with distorted guitars, compressed rock drums, multi-section arrangements and unique time signatures are what makes the band unique. There is no band out there that seems to be making music like theirs, as well as achieving their level of success in the process.
However, the band didn’t always sound like this. Some changes behind the scenes have led to major changes in what now seems to define BCNR. A lot of that has to do with the departure of their former lead singer, Isaac Wood. Their last major studio recorded album, “Ants from up There,” was in large part defined by the songwriting of lead-singer Wood. It was personal and particular. Lines saying “she had Billie Eilish style” and songs that fantasized about Charli XCX are examples of the modernistic songwriting that few artists seem to really pull off — but he did. Wood’s deep, emotive British voice and lyrics — which evoked the sound of King Krule — combined with their unique instrumentation is what made BCNR stand out from the beginning.
Each song on the album has long intros and outros, with building instrumentals involving woodwind instruments and call-and-response melodies. Compared to their debut, this album instantly defined itself as something different, and the critical acclaim of it was proof. The hard-to-impress publication, Pitchfork, rated the album a 7.5 out of 10! This came after Wood released a statement stating he was feeling a kind of anxiety and sadness that was “too much to pick-up guitar,” resulting in the cancellation of their upcoming tour, which left fans questioning what the future of the band would look like.
After three years, it’s clear that this change in the band has not hindered its output at all. With a live album under their belt and now a studio effort as well, they took this departure with stride. The melancholy and depression that hung over the first two albums is no longer present, but the depth of the music on “Live from Bush Hall” and “Forever Howlong” is just as nuanced.
Every song is a stand out on the album. From the opening track, “Besties,” all the way to the track, “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me).” There is a playfulness to the album that isn’t heard in modern music, and it’s refreshing to listen to. It’s whimsical and silly and heartfelt in all the ways it should be. Being a little over 50 minutes long, the album takes listeners on several roller coasters. From ballads to bangers to breakdowns, the album never feels dull.
Verdict: As they continue to discover their sound, Black Country, New Road proves that great and original music is still being made.
