Like the concorde that passes through, 'Ants From Up There' deals with a tragic and inevitable heartbreak, both in context of the record and in the band.
For a breakthrough, Black Country New Road has showcased the abundance of fully realized potential that they have with their debut. Anxiety-driven on both the compositions, writing, and performance that gave attention to fans of this kind of experimental rock and the fact that there were plans for a second record this year was exciting… Until Isaac Wood left the band just days before this record dropped in February.
It is quite a shift, but that anxious ethos remains that is now presented in a lengthier and more composed manner. Isaac Wood’s vocals are more measured, the compositions and tones are brighter, and instrumentally the record showcase more emphasis on the strings and piano work while keeping that organic texture from the drums and guitars. While it took a while for these switch-ups to click with me, I understood how it all comes together when it comes to the lyricism that details the tragic relationship and how that comes to an end, only to be more heartbreaking when it showcases that the protagonist was trying to latch on to this relationship especially when it’s a co-dependent one.
Certain songs like ‘Snow Globes’ and ‘Basketball Shoes’ didn’t click, mostly due to the repetitive phrases and the rather clunky structure on the former song and the questionable lyrics that still doesn’t feel revised drastically in this version and the length and pacing that kills the climax on the latter song. However, this album still proves just how precise and exciting Black Country New Road can be due to their theatrical style approach that works well here, the jaunty and classically inclined ‘Chaos Space Marine’ with its piano work and strings, ‘Concorde’ with its quiet start that blooms to a loud finish, ‘Bread Song’ with its steady but grand buildups from the shuffling guitars, drums, strings, and horns, ‘Good Will Hunting’ that kicks and stomps thanks to the drums and synths, ‘Haldern’ with its majestic horns and strings, and ‘The Place Where He Inserted the Blade’ with its quaking atmosphere.
It is still difficult whether or not this is beyond their debut, but the more I listen to this, the more I am just heartbroken thanks to just how the band presents this kind of heartbreak incredibly well, but also due to how it is in context with the band itself and what this might mean for them now that Isaac Wood left the band. For now, for what Isaac Wood has put forth in this record with Black Country New Road, I just hope that things are all right for him and hope that the band will keep creating even with his departure.
Favorite Tracks: Chaos Space Marine, Haldern, Bread Song, Concorde, Good Will Hunting, The Place Where He Inserted the Blade
Least Favorite Track: Basketball Shoes