January 30, 2025

Black Country, New Road - "Besties"


Black Country, New Road have announced their new studio album, Forever Howlong, and first since the sudden departure of their singer Isaac Wood in 2022 and they've shared the lead single, "Besties," as well.

Ok, so technically the last album from Black Country, New Road also came out after the departure of Isaac Wood, but only by a few days and he was a vital component of the record, so Forever Howlong is their first studio effort without him in the band. On their first two records, the band was categorized with other artsy post-punk groups from England who were making angular, complex records that somehow made up a scene even when the bands didn't always sound like the same exact genre. The first ten seconds of the band's new single "Besties" sounds like something Mark Mothersbaugh might write for a Wes Anderson film before it increases in intensity and makes a swerve to something a bit more twee. More melodic and jaunty than their earlier albums, this does feel and sound like a shift in their musical direction while still holding their core elements at the center of their work. There are sharpened string arrangements, anthemic vocals, and chamber-pop moments that recall mid-aughts indie rock. It's hard to keep the momentum flowing when such a crucial player leaves a group, but Black Country, New Road are forging ahead and appear comfortable steering their sound into something new while still trying to keep things relatively the same. It's a difficult task and we'll see how they deliver on the final project now that they've softened the edges.

Forever Howlong is out April 4.

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