r/Music2020s

Synopsis:

When British seven-piece ensemble Black Country, New Road dropped their debut album For the first time in early 2021, they immediately cemented themselves at the absolute absolute forefront of the modern post-punk renaissance. Emerging from the same Windmill Brixton scene that birthed bands like black midi and Squid, BC,NR arrived with a sound that felt less like a traditional rock band and more like a chaotic, highly calculated chamber orchestra.

Review:
The album opens with "Instrumental" Heavily inspired by traditional Eastern European klezmer music and minimalist post-rock, the song is built around a driving, hypnotic drumbeat and a looping, syncopated keyboard line. Evans' saxophone and Georgia Ellery's violin weave around one another as drummer Charlie Wayne and Bassist Tyler Hyde create a foundation that feels like a sturdy base for the chaotic ride the tracks evolve into. “Anthens, France” is built on this dense math-rock groove. It is a reworking of one of the first singles the band released taking out some of the more explicit content the band no longer felt comfortable performing. The song flows in waves of high and low inspiration but post-punk and avant garde you feel like you are just gliding alone in this massive journey.  “Science Fair” begins with this needling bassline and distorted guitar feedback before it explodes in this abrasive wall of noise. The song describes a disastrous encounter with a girl at a science fair Isaac Wood’s spoken word vocal delivery gets more distress and maniac and the band follows suit as you feel the narrator getting more agitated as he falls into despair and madness.  “Sunglasses” is a ten-minute masterclass in indie post-rock dominance. It feels very claustrophobic at times as we get a handful of massive math-rock  and post-rock grooves. In the middle of the song it changes courses and brings in some melodic energy that seems to come in waves. The track changes courses again as it ends in an explosion of a massive blast of chaotic energy.  “Track X” lowers the tension of the previous track. Trading in the abrasive wall of noise for a gentle slow minimalism. It will be the closest thing the band will have to a love song. Wood’s vocals sound fragile and tender. As the band moves along in this angelic wave that feels so lush. Georgia Ellery (Volin) and May Kershaw (keyboards) provide the faint backing vocals that complete the song’s quiet energy. The album closes with “Opus” revisits many of the themes of the opening track “Instrumental” with that heavy  post-rock mixed in with avant jazz hybrid wall of sound. The track levels in and out of density and then quiet melodic movements. Before one last blast of energy before it loses steam and just disappears into the abyss. 
Final  Thoughts:

This is a massive debut from one of the best artists that emerged in this decade. It is a masterclass of post-rock melodic energy. One of the best debut albums of the century. If you haven’t heard this great piece of  Avant Garde art rock mastery please put it on your bucket list soon.