Black Country, New Road return with a new album, “Forever Howlong”, out now on Ninja Tune.
The long-awaited new record was produced by James Ford (Fontaines D.C., Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur) and sees Black Country, New Road settled into a new shape in which vocal duties – and most of the song writing – is split between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, and May Kershaw.
The band’s ability to respond to changing circumstances is not only down to their close-knit friendship but due to their talent, adaptability and long standing relationship together as musicians. A mix of classically trained and self-taught, the multi-instrumentalists gathered steam as a band in the late 2010s, regularly playing The Windmill in Brixton alongside friends and peers such as Squid and Black Midi, and soon found themselves being labelled “the best band in the world” by The Quietus.
When singer and guitar player Isaac Wood left Black Country, New Road just ahead of the release of their second album, “Ants From Up There“, that could have been the end of the band. They carried on instead, and this year “Forever Howlong” arrived as their first proper record with the changed line-up. With Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery (also of Jockstrap), and May Kershaw handling vocals and most of the songwriting, it’s a different perspective from their last two albums, and their heady chamber pop, which builds slowly and bursts into bloom, sounds like it’s coming from a group fully locked in with each other. The soaring crescendos are particularly mesmerizing, and seeing them pull it off live this year, swapped instruments, flourishes and all, was thrilling. With their current incarnation, Black Country, New Road have become a more interesting band, and they’re making some of their best material yet right now.
Here in 2025, “Forever Howlong” is an ambitious, meticulously detailed record that includes everything from folk to prog via baroque pop and touches of alt-rock – with nods to everything from Joanna Newsom to Randy Newman via Fiona Apple and Janis Ian – yet all the while retaining that unmistakably unique sound that only this combination of musicians can come up with. Although hugely varied and expansive, the album also feels deeply cohesive and focused, as it takes three distinct voices and styles and seamlessly intersperses them into a new collective sound.
The Fat Angel Sings 