Ok, I’m Late to: BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD
Truly shocked I did not get to "Ants From Up There" sooner.
The vacuum-sealed toy airplane always flashed upon my screen whenever I opened Spotify for over a year. I was aware of Black Country, New Road’s 2022 album Ants From Up There, which received general critical acclaim from the big news publications (5 stars from NME, The Independent, and The Observer; 8.4/10 on Pitchfork; and 9/10 on Clash). Furthermore, too many teenagers in terrible wolf cuts and flash tattoos of the Phoebe Bridgers ghosts had been begging me with tears in their eyes to listen to this album on TikTok—so we all know I’ve been ignoring their pleas.
I’ve even seen BCNR in the same playlists as Sufjan Stevens, The Mountain Goats, Car Seat Headrest, Radiohead, and Elliot Smith—a lethal combination for me specifically (I’ve logged over 70 hours listening to Stevens in 2021, and an embarrassing undisclosed amount of time for CSH in 2022)—so there was no reason for me to show such reluctance. Like, believe me, I know I’ll like it, but the length of each song in their debut album frightens me, and the hype around it makes me want to believe it’s not as good as everyone says it is.
But guess what? I got to “Bread Song” and now I’m crying. I also can’t stop dramatically screaming, “SHE HAD BILLIE EILISH STYLE.” I may be late to the BCNR party, but I’m here now.
Ants From Up There, to no one’s surprise, is an album with the perfect formula for me: the full orchestra that accompanies almost every track, especially the woodwinds and brass sections, evokes Illinois (2005) by Sufjan Stevens yet differentiates itself enough to sound like something entirely new. The vocals are a folk-punk reimagining of Thom Yorke, and they suit the gut-wrenching lyrics filled with grotesque and mournful imagery perfectly. There are also hints of English Folk infused in their writing style; while the album is incredibly complex, it still feels earnest and homemade, almost connected to the world that surrounds it—a product of everyday creative genius. The use of the fiddle especially brings these hints forward, and though it’s subtle throughout the album, it brings that timeless, British, human quality to it that I loved a lot.
The length of each song in Ants From Up There turned out to be perfect. Even though most songs are between 5-7 minutes, the band provides enough music and lyricism to make them audibly and mentally stimulating. I never found myself to be bored throughout the tracks—as each song flowed into the next, I found myself floating in between a range of complex emotions. Here I am, gasping in wonder at the beautiful, warm muted trumpet solo, then tearing up at the soft twinkling of the grand piano, then just losing my mind at the beginning of the vocals in “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade.” The movements in their final track, “Basketball Shoes,” also kept my attention the entire time, making the daunting 12:30 minute timestamp much more pleasurable to listen to.
I never found myself flipping between windows to check for song titles, for all ten tracks felt like extensions of each other, branching out from the last song and continued in the next. I almost believed that some songs were purely instrumental—which I hope the band explores in the future—but then the most intense, heartbreaking lyrics you’ll hear would kick in, and suddenly you’re crying, they’re crying, and we’re all an emotional mess appreciating the beauty and magical powers of music. I am being dramatic, but I have not felt this way listening to an album like Ants From Up There since Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois (2005). Like its evident inspiration, BCNR’s debut album has a timeless quality: I will never get tired of it, I will always find something new to appreciate, and I’ll never be able to listen to it as background music.
Anyway, if I had listened to Ants From Up There when it came out, it easily would have consumed my listening habits and made it onto my Top 5 Albums of 2022 list (probably would have even made it to the top 3). So there! To no one’s surprise, Black Country, New Road is right in my alley of artists I would love, and even though I’m late to the party, I’m now dancing just as hard as everyone else!
Moral of the story: maybe the teens in terrible wolf cuts and flash tattoos have a point. Maybe.
Recommended for people who like: Sufjan Stevens, Radiohead, St. Vincent’s first three albums only, black midi, Of Montreal, Radiohead, pre-2016 Car Seat Headrest, Moses Sumney, Jockstrap, any folk punk artist/group, The Mountain Goats
Disclaimer: I did not read any of the published reviews to prevent bias in my review. I also listened to neither their earlier EP from 2021 nor their recent live album. I have much more research to do!
The header image has been credited to the proper owner below the photo.
The place where he inserted the blade 😭😭😭 i like to listen to that back to back with Japanese Breakfast’s Posing for Cars to maximize the pain