Zach Sees a Concert: Black Country, New Road
I truly love going to see concerts. Live music is the best avenue for appreciating a new sound or bonding with strangers. However, after a long weekend at Shaky Knees and last night's Weezer gathering, I was quite hesitant to make the hike towards Black Country, New Road.
Who?
The classic question of any concert... and I think answering that question is important for this particular show. According to the merch Kathryn bought, Black Country, New Road are "English folk rock", but this is the bare surface of their story. Their 2022 album Ants From Up There was a critical darling, earning itself a spot in the echelons of The Strokes' Is This It as a staple of the indie scene. And the craziest thing? The album hasn't been performed once. Frontman Isaac Wood departed the band days before release. You'd be lucky to hear the remaining members tour at all, much less hear Ants From Up There live.
The years beyond brought three young women to the front of the ensemble instead, each bringing a different texture to their English sound. It's acoustic-forward and each band member has a tangible emotional attachment to the music they have made. It isn't sad music (mostly), but it takes itself very seriously. The mystery behind Ants From Up There and the path that led them to create the sequel masterpiece Forever Howlong provides a near endless amount of depth to explore Black Country, New Road.
This same enigmatic feeling can be said of their concert experience. For starters, I meant it when I said young earlier. Black Country, New Road is comprised of members hardly older than myself, yet their musical palette is decades more mature. And the audience, though of similar age, could not have been more respectful of their approach. I felt guilty taking my single picture amongst a sea of attentive viewers; I even saw more digital cameras than phones. The crowd was silent like you would expect at a concert hall, not the tattered walls of the Cat's Cradle. We were treated to a symphony of musicians trading instruments as if mastery of one was far behind them. Any attendees who only knew Ants From Up There still left satisfied as the lush textures of Forever Howlong compensated any unfamiliarity. And knowing an encore would only prolong a tender moment, the group quietly performed their last song and bid us farewell.
All my fears of back-to-back concerts were quelled in this moment. It was an honor to partake in their music as a collective. If you enjoy independent music, then Black Country, New Road is an absolute must-listen. I personally prefer their newer record more, but many would still tell you the preceding album is as good as it gets. My words do them both a disservice. I implore you to listen and return to this post to see if you agree.