Album Review: Live at Bush Hall - Black Country, New Road

Days before the release of what has since become their widely-acclaimed chamber-pop classic Ants From Up There, English rock group Black Country, New Road faced unprecedented circumstances. Citing mental health challenges, lead singer and eclectic storyteller Isaac Wood announced that he would be stepping away from the group’s endeavors indefinitely. Not only did this present the obvious long-term obstacle of having to redefine the group’s sound and personality over time, but their upcoming tour was now in question since all of the band’s material from their first two albums was defined by Isaac’s contributions. This left many Black Country, New Road fans experiencing the bittersweetness that the group so often evokes in its narratives, but this time about this band itself. Where would they go from here? Could their future music ever live up to the impossibly high standard set by For the first time and Ants From Up There? What happens now?

Fortunately for Black Country, New Road fans, it’s apparent that putting this group of extraordinarily-talented musicians in the same room together leads to nothing short of sonic euphoria. Instead of replacing Isaac with another lead single and touring the group’s album tracks, they took a chance by assembling a brand new setlist of songs that highlighted each member’s abilities in a refreshing light, even allowing instrumentalists like May Kershaw, Tyler Hyde, and Lewis Evans to lead the charge and attempt to fill the large (basketball) shoes left behind by Isaac on the mic. Their most recent project, not quite a third full-length LP but certainly more than a just collection of tracks, Live at Bush Hall is a special recording of the setlist the group arranged after Isaac’s departure recorded on both audio and video in one of London’s most historic venues.

From the first track “Up Song”, it’s apparent that Isaac’s departure is very much still on the minds and hearts of each of the group’s members. Despite this, this excellent opener is a triumphant victory lap and self-congratulatory reminder that these are all friends making music, with an ear worm of a chorus that states: “What at what we did together, BC, NR - friends forever!” Track two, “The Boy”, explores a heart-wrenching, theatrical narrative of a Robin losing its ability to fly and attempt to restore its broken wing. While somewhat shrouded in layered vocals and a unique narrative structure, this song’s symbolism quickly becomes apparent, and May’s vocal contributions demonstrate that a varied style could provide refreshing and useful for the group moving forward.

“I Won’t Always Love You” is one of the most structurally-captivating pieces the group has released up until this point, with the narrator struggling to lie to herself about a relationship that has slipped past the point of no return. As the song progresses and she finally admits to herself that the love she once felt is no longer, she is able to speak more clearly and directly, with an ever-swelling instrumentation that eventually blooms into the full Black Country organized chaos that fans have grown to adore.

“Across the Pond Friend” is up next, and so is Lewis Evans - whose semi-flat vocal delivery would prove jarring if not for how well it is accompanied when juxtaposed to the upbeat instrumentation of this track. The story of living more adventurously than you’re accustomed to and doing something as simple as visiting a distant friend is both fulfilling and crushing, with crushing lyrics like “On our last night, we watched a film and had a cry / How could I be ready to say goodbye? / And just like that, you’re in my mind, you’re back into my arms again / My across-the-pond friend.”

Speaking of crushing, the following “Laughing Song” is anything but a knee slapper, as it explores Tyler’s experience in losing someone incredibly close to her whether to death or to circumstance. I may be presuming, but I hear the subject being discussed here as Isaac, with lines like “Laughing at our own songs again / How we laughed, you made me laugh / Well, what does that say? / What does that say? / When I have accepted that no-one else will make me laugh like that - ever again?” seemingly confirming the depth of impact that Isaac’s departure had on this group of friends. This isn’t to fault Isaac for taking the actions needed to preserve his mental health, but instead to explore the often bittersweet nature of life that Black Country, New Road so frequently captures the essence of.

“The Wrong Trousers” is an uplifting and sometimes humorous track, but even the Weyes Blood reference could’ve elevate it above forgettable to me, especially when surrounded by such powerhouses. None exemplify this more than the following “Turbines/Pigs”, which I hope is adapted and featured on a future full-length studio project. One of my favorite Black Country, New Road songs to date, this piano-backed epic’s chorus is haunting, with May Kershaw repeating “Don’t waste your pearls on me … I’m only a pig” and eventually culminating in the brutal “Without a broom or bubble, you learnt to fly all by yourself / You could see through the mess / You chose to fly above us.” Chills.

“Dancers” is another highlight, with the central core metaphor of dancers standing still on a stage as shells of who they once were. When paired with the revelation that Tyler is struggling with self-hatred throughout the track, this song proves to be yet another tearjerker. Finally, “Up Song (Reprise)” puts a thematic bow on this project by resurfacing the opening track’s lyrics and a final, existential look inward with the lines “Look at what we did together / Don’t know how you did it / Have you come out half the woman you were before / Or twice the person you ever dreamed you could be?” Hopefully the answer to that question is quite clear at this point — Black Country, New Road as a whole has seemingly used very unfortunate circumstances to evolve, adapt, and continue to expand their sonic capabilities even further than the sky-high standard they set for themselves. But the question even being asked reveals that their identity as a group has been shaken, and they are unsure if this new formula will yield the same brilliance that their debut and sophomore albums captured.

While not a conventional release, I found a live album the perfect next step forward for Black Country, New Road. This project highlights the many skills of their members, offering an array of new sounds and ideas to fans, while capturing the same aesthetic and tonal quality that we’ve grown to love. This project will not be a part of my year-end list because it was released under such particular circumstances and isn’t being framed a formal third studio album from the group, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be one of my most-played favorites this year, even with an asterisk next to its name. Black Country, New Road has already established a special place in my heart with their first two albums, and Live at Bush Hall is yet another moment that leaves my jaw on the floor and leaves me excited for what’s in store for this band in the coming years.

Favorite tracks: “Up Song”, “The Boy”, “I Won’t Always Love You”, “Across the Pond Friend”, “Laughing Song”, “Turbines/Pigs”, “Dancers”

SCORE: 8/10*