Calliope Music Rapid Reviews
Black Country, New Road - Live at Bush Hall
Renowned Art Rock Band, Black Country, New Road Picks up the Pieces after Lead Singer, Isaac Wood's Departure in a Heart-Rending Live Performance, Both Celebrating and Mourning Friendship.
Blaring horns, chugging strings and dynamic woodwind breathe energy into graceful piano tracks. Bold bass guitar and technical drumming build progressive pop rhythms, delicate at times and ravenously climactic at others. The savory use of cello and flute create folk tale-like tones that reflect a natural sense of freedom and childlike wonder.
Vocally, three band members; Tyler Hyde, May Kershaw and Lewis Evans all share lead vocals in the absence of Wood. Each singer adds to the emotional intensity of the album, whether its through Hyde's confident highs, Kershaw's quivering refrains, or Evans' anxious buildups.
Together, instrumentally and vocally, BC,NR is able to make songs of great suspense, assembling moments of soft and personal reflections that lead to thrilling blasts of triumphant commemoration. The band applies such suspense to stories of far away love, the struggles of dependence and of course the harrowing retirement of band member and close friend, Isaac Wood.
As a live album, Live at Bush Hall is pungent and clear in its recording, aside from a couple instances of flared out treble and crowded mixing. Other than such occurrences and a few less attractive chamber pop movements, Black Country, New Road offers a charming, yet forlorn live show soaked in the tears of good times and lost concord.
Best Tracks: Up Song -- Across The Pond Friend -- The Wrong Trousers -- Turbines/Pigs -- Dancers
7.5/10
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