Black Country, New Road
Forever Howlong
Ninja Tune [2025]
“Black Country, New Road band together to explore new possibilities on their third studio album.”
Album Overview: If there’s one word that describes UK art rock band Black Country, New Road, it’s perseverance. Most of the members came together in the mid-2010s in the band Nervous Conditions, only to be re-dubbed Black Country, New Road after the departure of two members. After adopting their new moniker, the band started to gain some traction as part of the “Windmill Scene” that included fellow acts like black midi and Squid. Just as the band seemed poised to capture a wider audience with their sophomore album (2022’s Ants From Up There), lead vocalist Isaac Wood announced his departure from the band. But instead of packing it in BC,NR forged ahead, writing new material to tour which became their cathartic Live at Bush Hall release (2023). Now they’re back with their first proper studio album since Georgia Ellery, May Kershaw, and Tyler Hyde assumed vocal duties, Forever Howlong.
Musical Style: One of BC,NR’s strengths is the way the seamlessly blend disparate styles, from nervy post-punk and art rock to more ornate approaches incorporating elements of baroque pop and progressive rock. Their songs tend to avoid typical verse-chorus structures in favor of a more winding path but always feel cohesive and well-arranged thanks to their 6-member lineup.
Evolution of Sound: Forever Howlong continues the evolution the band began on Live at Bush Hall, where they made their first attempt to chart a musical path forward. Compared to their first two studio albums, Forever Howlong leans into the art-pop and progressive-folk elements of their sound, a move that works well with the new all-female vocal lineup. Most songs tend to be built around piano or acoustic guitars, but as the songs unfold multiple layers get added or subtracted, with woodwinds, mandolins, horns, and other (largely acoustic) instruments creating dynamic arrangements that maintain the band’s non-linear approach to songwriting but cast it in a new, often softer light.
Artists with Similar Fire: In its more ambitious moments, the wide-screen art-pop of BC,NR’s sound calls to mind artists like Kate Bush, Björk, or Fiona Apple, while the folkier passages are reminiscent of acts like Joanna Newsom, Fleet Foxes, or Sufjan Stevens. There are still plenty of progressive elements too, but they’re more evident in the song structures and instrumental interplay and less apparent on passive listening.
Pivotal Tracks: The album is very consistent throughout, but there are some definite highlights. Opener “Besties” sets the tone right away with its swooping twists and turns and charismatic vocals from Georgia Ellery, who also sings on “Two Horses,” another of the album’s high points. That’s not to say May Kershaw’s and Tyler Hyde’s vocal spots are inferior by any means, though—“The Big Spin” follows up “Besties” with a catchy piano-based track featuring vocals from Kershaw, while “Happy Birthday” (featuring Hyde on lead) is another of the album’s best songs and features some of the record’s most dynamic playing. The pair also sing lead on “Nancy Tries to Take the Night” (Hyde) and the title track (Kershaw), which are two quieter tracks that perfectly set up the album’s closer “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me).” Ellery takes the lead vocal on that track, but it contains some of the album’s best harmony singing—something they’ll hopefully incorporate more of in the future.
Lyrical Strength: While Isaac Wood’s lyrics on the first two BC,NR records stood out because of their mix of candid observations, pop-culture references, and wry humor, because there are now three lyricists in the band the songs on Forever Howlong cover a wider spectrum of perspectives. Ellery, Kershaw, and Hyde’s lyrics are more impressionistic and abstract than Wood’s were, often directly addressing an off-screen listener or painting a narrative scene with symbolism and imagery that can’t immediately be decoded. It’s a stark difference, but different doesn’t necessarily mean weaker—the new approach fits the band’s current musical approach more effectively than aping Wood’s lyrical style would have, and they’re already more refined than the lyrics were on Live at Bush Hall (which weren’t bad themselves by any means).
Final Groove: Forever Howlong isn’t so much a transitional record—that was Live at Bush Hall—so much as it is the beginning of a new phase. If you were into the band because of Wood’s vocal delivery and quirky lyrics, this new version of Black Country, New Road might not be for you. But if you appreciated the band for their ability to explore novel ideas and evolve from record to record, Forever Howlong should grow on you quickly once you acclimate to the new approach. And if you’re new to the band, this is a great place to hop on board; if their past work is any indication, they’re only going to get better from here on out.
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD HISTORY
Ants From Up There (2022) / For The First Time (2021)
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD LINKS
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