Black Country, New Road: Best of Friends

      "[The album is] examining various viewpoints and how these can unite to derive meaning from shared experiences."

       — Charlie WayneThese resulting tracks intricately weave together, with the album’s thematic essence revolving around – as Charlie describes – “examining various viewpoints and how they can unite to create meaning from shared experiences.” It’s an album that feels completely aligned with the band’s established and widely embraced vision while also allowing the members to hone their individual sound. “We aimed to be more restrictive with our arrangements,” Lewis explains. “That doesn't mean it's a subtle album, but we sought to make each song as impactful as possible and ensure the lead vocals stood out as the most significant element.” This is most prominently displayed in the lead single ‘Besties’; a three-and-a-half minute orchestral pop piece that is as accessible and immediate as anything the band has ever produced. This fresh approach to a more immediate and agile arrangement is influenced by a band that all six members identify as pivotal for this third album: the Canadian-American country rock group The Band. “They are the greatest band of all time,” Lewis expresses enthusiastically. “They have an incredible connection with one another. They’re so in sync. That’s something we aimed for while we worked on this record to achieve a better groove.” This ambition surfaces brilliantly across several tracks, especially in ‘Two Horses,’ which transforms halfway through into a sweeping, galloping cowboy epic.

      Yet, despite this new focus on precision and clarity, some aspects remain unchanged. Anyone who has witnessed the band live knows that all six members are multi-instrumentalists. In this album, they experiment with incorporating banjo, bass clarinet, timpani, harpsichord, and recorder into the mix, the latter of which Lewis mentions the band members all learned specifically for one song. “The studio played a significant role in the process,” Charlie observes. “We felt that these songs weren’t best represented by just the six of us playing together. We really embraced it, to the extent that by the end, we were removing elements because there was too much happening.”

      For the production role, the band enlisted James Ford (Blur, Arctic Monkeys), and both Charlie and Lewis express immense gratitude for his “down-to-earth and friendly” demeanor and impressive work ethic. “He’s an extraordinary professional,” Lewis remarks, “I can’t believe how hard he works.” The band underwent an intense three-week process, with James working every day from 10 am to 2 am, taking just one day off; Lewis articulately describes Ford’s contribution as “he was able to make sound decisions even when tired.”

      Due to a blend of James’ dedication and the band’s thoughtful sharpening of their own vision, ‘Forever Howlong’ emerges as a pure, distilled representation of Black Country, New Road. “This is the first album we’ve taken the time to write and then tour,” Charlie points out, acknowledging that the touring plans for their first two albums were interrupted first by the pandemic and then by Isaac’s departure. “I suppose we compensated for it by thoroughly touring ‘…Bush Hall’,” he adds. “It’s a huge testament to our fanbase and their openness to embrace change and new material.” Fortunately for them, ‘Forever Howlong’ is likely to exceed expectations, with even the album’s title seemingly capturing some of the magic of Black Country, New Road that has captivated fans; a name that is likewise elegant, intricate, and notably beautiful. ‘Forever Howlong’ will be released on April 4th via Ninja Tune.