ANTS FROM UP THERE

Spike Sidor

4 years ago

BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD

2022 PROGRESSIVE-POP/INDIE-ROCK/ART-ROCK

Ants From Up There is the sophomore album from the suddenly immensely popular art-rock ensemble Black Country, New Road. It’s only been a year since their debut album and how things have changed. From second best Slint cover band to praise in every publication and dramatic puff pieces in mainstream media. It feels like a lifetime ago that they were the kids following black midi around the UK, piecing together the tracks that would make up their debut, now they are the kids coping with fame, and not everyone made it. Just a week before this record’s release their singer, Isaac Wood, left resulting in the cancellation of a world tour leaving many to wonder about BCNR’s future. But that is a question for the future as we have new tunes to discuss in the present. Their debut album is terrific, a scraggly tower of chaotic compositions and poetry with vocal performances shouted out from the brink.

Ants From Up There is a proper sequel, it has the soul of their first but it’s evolved, they are a band making what feels right to them, if that deviates from established success then so be it. They sound like they have a fire in them, they are letting their creativity flow naturally and the results show for it. Think less abrasion and anxiety and more smooth and forlorn; think less raving from the edge of a balcony and more the pontifications of a love life that topples at every turn. This will not be a full review so to say, as mentioned everyone is writing about the band and this record from all conceivable angles of interest. To expound upon that with likely the same thoughts and even the same words seems unnecessary, although I may return to it for a more full analysis I will keep it short for now. Ants From Up There is good, in fact it is extremely good. As good if not better than their first, and that was one of my favorites of 2021. Naturally this one is an early contender for the best of the year as well.

The track listing is almost impeccable. There’s Chaos Space Marine with its gorgeous swells of strings and horns and brilliant lyrics about Isaac having difficulty balancing his love for the reality escaping and highly time consuming hobby of Warhammer 40k with his love life. I know, it sounds stupid, trust me its beautiful. There’s the irresistible melody of Good Will Hunting with the wordiest and catchiest chorus you’ve heard in a long time. And my God the performances all over this, Isaac’s ability to reach into the emotional depths is astounding; pulling out the roses of eternal sadness, the desperation of a soaked coat that wasn’t right for this weather, and the quiet prose of a window’s glare lighting the edges of old library shelves. Not to say there aren’t complaints to be had, I find the constant slicing strings and loud-quiet dynamics of Haldren to be underwhelming, the instrumental interlude of Mark’s Theme to be pretty but ineffectual, rousing little with its layers of placid horns, and the odd section of Snow Globes where the improv style drumming overtakes the rest of the mix to be garish. Yet these three songs are still exceptional, I can’t get over the repeated refrain of Snow Globes.

Oh, god of weather, Henry knows
Snow globes don’t shake on their own

It ends with the multipart epic Basketball Shoes that excites and intrigues in equal measure throughout its nearly thirteen minute runtime. The last section is harrowing, the instrumentation peaks and Isaac loses his mind one last time.

Oh, in my bed sheets, now wet
Of Charlie, I pray to forget
All I’ve been forms the drone, we sing the rest
Oh, your generous loan to me, your crippling interest

Crippling indeed, the pressure of being hailed as the harbingers of a new rock revolution is a lot to take, in truth I’m surprised the remainder of the band decided to stay together. The scrutiny will be higher than ever and a comrade fewer. Am I worried about their future? Absolutely. After For the first time I was certain that they were destined for greatness, their potential was so obvious, it seeped from every note. I still have faith of course, if there is any band that can sojourn on into the unknown and triumph it is Black Country, New Road.

9/10

ANTS FROM UP THERE

RELATED REVIEWS

FOR THE FIRST TIME

MAKING A DOOR LESS OPEN

CAVALCADE