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FOREVER HOWLONG : AN ALBUM THAT MUST PASS TWO TESTS
Black Country, New Road, sometimes shortened to BCNR, is a band currently at the summit of a very difficult mountain to climb. Despite being one of the most celebrated post-rock bands of the past decade, BCNR faced two intersecting challenges with the release of Forever Howlong: the departure of an iconic frontman, and the challenge of passing the “three album run” test.
Former frontman Isaac Wood’s unusual voice and songwriting were heavily credited for the success of the band’s second album Ants From Up There, but Wood left the band immediately following the album’s release. Since his departure, listeners have been wary of how BCNR would proceed without him. Simultaneously, the new album tested BCNR’s ability to maintain a three album run — releasing three successful albums in a row. With these two daunting tasks weighing on Forever Howlong, the pressure was high, but the band seems to have passed both tests with flying colors.
A BAND OF ERAS AND CHANGE
At its core, BCNR is a post-rock band, using long, complex, and unique compositions to make music. However, the band has shown a penchant for altering its sound with each new release. Its debut album, For the first time, is filled with the jazzy, synth-heavy sounds of krautrock. Ants From Up There is an extremely detailed and hard to decipher piece of art rock. Now, Forever Howlong is embracing baroque pop and progressive folk.
The album is heavily acoustic, centering around instruments like mandolins, harpsichords, banjos, and flutes — instruments that weren’t present in earlier albums. While changing sounds can be a huge risk, BCNR seems to deeply understand every sound they try. Forever Howlong beautifully melds the acoustic sounds and lighter atmospheres with the band’s trademark big arrangements and grand showcases. This strong transition is also helped by the group’s three new vocalists — bassist Tyler Hyde, keyboardist May Kershaw, and violinist Georgia Ellery — whose various timbres and tones work extremely well with the brighter, more acoustic sound.
GALLOPING OVER THE SUMMIT ON THE BACKS OF HORSES
From the album’s first seconds on the opening track “Besties,” BCNR assures the audience that they’ll be hearing something different — but with a familiar touch. Kershaw’s wild harpsichord solo opens the album, followed by 20 seconds of beautifully harmonized singing and percussion that mirrors the dramatic finale of “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade”, one of the shining tracks from Ants From Up There. The album’s third song, “Socks”, hits on the band’s love of spectacle with its length and depth, but the vocal performance and open arrangement give it an almost Broadway monologue feel.
The album’s biggest leap and most fun expression of the new baroque/folk sound is “Two Horses”. It starts as a slow folk ballad before blasting into bass and drum rhythms mimicking the gallop of horses. The acoustic instruments add to the prairie feeling, like a group of musicians playing around the fire after a night of riding across the plains. The band also makes heavy use of unison arrangements between multiple instruments — a cornerstone of its compositional style — that helps tracks feel big and powerful without seeming overwhelming or busy. The track seamlessly melds classic characteristics of the band’s sound with new techniques and sounds, making it a perfect song for new and old fans alike.
Even as they innovate, BCNR isn't afraid to pull from the old playbook as well. The track “For the Cold Country”, on the album’s back half, follows closely to the slow burn art rock of Ants From Up There. The track consistently adds new layers with each verse, building up to a huge finale that swells with more electronic instruments than at any other point of the album. Its last few seconds tap into the end of “Basketball Shoes”, the massive finale of Ants From Up There, with its slamming drums, group vocals, and overwhelming energy.
BCNR, FRIENDS FOREVER
Taken from the lyrics of “Up Song” off 2023’s Live at Bush Hall, “BCNR, friends forever” is a fitting theme for Forever Howlong. The acoustic sounds and lyrics romanticizing social environments from various points in history gives the album a warm, communal feel. The album doesn’t shy away from the potential harshness of close personal relationships, though. “Besties” tells the story of unrequited love in a friendship. “Socks” tells a long story of social alienation and missing the one person who gets you. “Happy Birthday” is a motivational speech given by one’s seemingly dead loved one about living for yourself in a decaying world without them. “For the Cold Country” is a deeply metaphoric track depicting a tired and worn down soldier's fleeting daydreams of enjoying simple pleasures with someone now far away.
The album’s themes feel deeply connected to the band’s story. After Wood’s departure, fans saw BCNR as damaged and missing an integral piece. However, the band’s remaining members refused to let the music and community they’d built die because of a single decision. Black Country, New Road isn’t built on the back of a single vocal performance or a single well-built song. The band is built on the back of musicians who share genuine connections through both music and community. The album’s final lyrics, “Don’t tell me goodbye,” offer a sign-off that reinforces the power of friendship and encourages listeners to stick with a band that must go through changes to survive.
BESTIES AT THE SUMMIT
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Black Country, New Road’s future hinged on the success of Forever Howlong. Thrust into the almost impossible situation of replacing an iconic frontman and polishing off a successful three album run, the band stuck to what they know best — reinvention and camaraderie. They dug into their signature formula of bending their post-rock musical core to fit a new style. They maintained powerful idiosyncratic compositional techniques while injecting new timbres and tones to brighten each song’s atmosphere. Most importantly, the members came together to provide new vocals, write a wide-spanning collection of lyrics, and kept the community they love so much intact. Forever Howlong is an amazing third album, a statement follow-up to Ants From Up There, and a true showcase of what a band can do, together. Black Country, New Road stands atop the summit on their horses, passing these two tests with flying colors on Forever Howlong.
