Black Country, New Road’s sophomore album is a sombre yet triumphant return, attaining an instant timeless quality with the bittersweet circumstances surrounding it. Like a Concorde, this album flies fast.

On their magnificent sophomore LP, Black Country, New Road soar high, smashing through the barriers of their previously acclaimed songwriting capabilities. ‘Ants From Up There’ is a drastic shift in sound for the band. Replacing volatile and vicious soundscapes with a subtly harrowing beauty that inescapably infects the soul. The album is a heart-wrenching opus, delving into topics of relationships, escapism and fame. Made ever more painful with the departure of lead vocalist Isaac Wood just days before the release of the album, Black Country, New Road have released an album so truly unique and momentous for the UK alternative scene.

Improving on their artistry in a plethora of ways since their debut, ‘Ants From Up There’ sees Black Country, New Road leaning less towards the Slint tribute act they once joked to be. Instead, they show off their other influences, the polyrhythmic syncopation of Steve Reich, the gritty pop of Weezer’s first two records, and the sombre storytelling of Arcade Fire. The cohesive sequencing of tracks on this record is spectacular, similar to their first album. However, the topics covered here and the maturity of their sound pair for a truly remarkable step up for the group. “We were really, really hyped making this record,” says Lewis Evans “We all love every single moment of this album.” Evans shares, and it’s easy to see why.

The album opens to an instrumental intro, one by no means as aggravated as the instrumental opening to their debut. Instead, this introduction suggests a newfound level of sophistication with an eerie sense of dissonance. Before taking time to reflect on the opening, the listener is thrust into ‘Chaos Space Marine’ — the lead single from the album. Wood speaks of Chaos Space Marines protected by their metal suits; similarly, Wood is protected from the dysfunctional relationships he’s ignoring by indulging in fantasy games. This kind of lyrical escapism is riddled throughout the album. Musically, this is one of the more intricate, ambitious and energetic tracks on the album.

‘Concorde’ returns to the theme of escapism, describing a now-defunct supersonic aeroplane. Mentions of the plane run throughout the record. There is a bleak comparison to the explosive nature of both the group and the aeroplane and their inevitable demise, with the departure of Wood from the band, and with no future plans to tour or perform the songs from this album, live, it all seems woefully fitting. Bear in mind, this isn’t the first time the band has lost a lead singer.  

The droning synths of ‘Good Will Hunting’, compounded by scuzzy guitars, paint an emotive soundscape for Wood’s escapist Billie Eilish references. Like a lot of tracks on this album, there is an attention to detail when it comes to space. At times it feels like the band are a bit rough or raw on this album but it’s as though they want you to feel those moments to snap you into something more musically perfect and cohesive.  

The album’s three closing tracks clock in at a combined 30 minutes and are some of the strongest moments. Perhaps the greatest of the three tracks is the heart-wrenching ‘The Place Where He Inserted The Blade’. From its haunting opening piano cutting through you like a knife, this track is an emotional powder keg of gorgeous melodies and emotive lyrics. Like many of the tracks on this album, there’s a sense of regret, a feeling of hopelessness that won’t be shaken away. Soulful saxophone and exquisite vocal harmonies reminiscent of the genius of Brian Wilson season the song with hair-raising propulsion.

‘Snowglobes’ and album closer ‘Basketball Shoes’ have been long-standing fan favourites from their explosive live shows but received the studio treatment for their sophomore. Together they serve as a powerful ending to an astonishingly advanced release for a band that has only been in the public eye for about a year. Though, it’s their evolution behind the scenes over the past five years on the DIY scene that makes this album what it truly is, a celebration of the good times and bad times they have had. Showcasing the exceptional growth of talent the band has proliferated over the years.

‘Ants From Up There’ is a timeless album. It could have been released 30 years ago or 30 years from now. There’s a classic nature in the songwriting that’s so refined it’s bizarre considering how recent their debut is. ‘Ants From Up There’ makes you feel small, as if you were an ant. Where ‘For The First Time’ felt at times triumphantly angry, ‘Ants From Up There’ is a depressing defeat that showcases a deep desire to escape. It is a commentary on the times the band have spent growing together but also excellently parallels the escapism we find everywhere in society, whether that is playing with space marines or something more serious like drug addiction. Despair and heartache seep from this album. This spans from the emotionally cataclysmic surge of drums on ‘Snowglobes’ to the deeply cutting piano on ‘The Place Where He Inserted The Blade’ or the escapist lyrics at every turn of the album. It is sombre yet triumphant, somehow attaining an instant nostalgic feeling due to the bittersweet circumstances surrounding it. Like a Concorde, this album flies fast.