This will age well.

Review Score:

B

April 5th / 2025 –

The departure of lead singer Isaac Wood raised a lot of questions for post-rock outfit Black Country, New Road, but one thing that was never uncertain was the determination of the remaining members to continue on in his absence.

Their 2023 live album was a demonstration of a new sound, a true stepping stone between the quirky dark tones of Ants from Up There and the direction that they are headed in now.

In some bands, a member’s exit would likely spell doom for their future. Each time this sort of thing occurs, there are a handful of common outcomes. Either the group limps along, or it becomes abundantly clear who was running the show.

In the case of BCNR, it ends up being neither option. The writing was split among various members this time around, as were the lead vocals. Isaac Wood’s voice was fitting for the types of songs he was writing. They felt deeply personal and unique and it was what initially what drew me to the band to begin with. But this new version of BCNR feels simultaneously familiar and reborn. With an adjustment period, BCNR has found their way once again. And with it comes a brighter, punchier sound than what we heard on their last studio album.

On Forever Howlong, the group is not trying to replicate what they had with Isaac Wood. They lean into their strengths as a band. And one of those is their ability to compose a pretty song. It sounds simple, but that’s the beauty of it. And it’s a skill you don’t find with every band. I would never call these songs simple in the sense that they’re predictable, but they feel like they come easy to the group. Similar to the way Vampire Weekend’s last LP sounded like the band was just hanging out and letting the songs flow through them, BCNR makes the painstakingly rehearsed sound effortless.

Even still, I’m left with a sense that this isn’t the same group they were with Isaac as the frontman. But every once in a while, I’m able to remove myself from that and just listen. If I didn’t have any prior expectations – if this was a brand new band – I would think “holy hell, where did these guys come from? This is fantastic.”

This album is fairly dense. Despite its warmer tones, it’s not a pop record by any means. Some songs are catchier than others, but generally, it’s hard to remove any of these songs from the album and casually enjoy them without the context of the whole project. But that’s BCNR for you. It’s a group like no other. And I am glad they’re pushing ahead, because there is too much talent here for this to die out. Mark my words, regardless of how this album is reviewed and received by fans in the coming days, this will age very well.

Review Score:

B

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.

https://blackcountrynewroad.bandcamp.com/album/forever-howlong