For the first time — Home

English rock band Black Country, New Road have officially made their debut with the release of their first album For the first time. Multiple singles from this project garnered critical acclaim and internet popularity, and the eventual release built up a sort of cult following ready to see what this eccentric and instrumentally skilled band had to offer. Luckily, this edgy, jazz-influenced art pop and post-punk album leaves very little to be desired. At only six tracks but a 40-minute runtime, this record goes by very quickly in the best ways possible.

The opening and self-describing track “Instrumental” is a multi-instrumental accomplishment. Each layer culminates by the end of this 5 and a half minute track, crescendoing intensely with saxophone backing and hard-hitting drums. The intensity sets the tone for what’s to come on the rest of this project impressively. “Athens, France” is our first exposure to Isaac Wood’s tormented vocals, which communicate their meaning impactfully. The instrumentation continues to wow throughout the track, as it never settles into a single identity. The closing jazz portion of this track is surprisingly calming, and it transitions well into track three.

“Science Fair” tackles a rather unexplored subject matter, which makes it all the more unsettling to listen to. Uncomfortably stacked electric guitars wail upon one another as the continuous drum backing never fails to continue on. The eventual synth breakdown is incredibly satisfying, as it definitely feels earned from the listener’s perspective. The end of this track is absolutely wild, as it feels like the entire band is playing their instruments as if they were at the forefront of the song. “Sunglasses” is arguably the band’s biggest single, and the album version was changed slightly from the original lyrics that took the internet by storm. Broken up into two parts, this song is one of the most exploratory on the album. Part one analyzes Isaac’s reluctance to age into what he sees as the worst characteristics of adulthood. Relatively relaxed instrumentation assists us along the way listening to Isaac’s struggles, but things take a positive shift toward the second act of the song. Isaac reflects on a mundane object that makes him feel better, which is the title sunglasses. As his confidence grows, he wishes that others could admire him. “I’m more than adequate, leave Kanye out of this” stands out as an especially memorable lyric on this great track.

“Track X” is the most understated song on the album, as it’s largely calm and atmospheric, especially when compared to the rest of the songs here. Mostly introspective and with some biblical imagery, this is a reprieve from the intensity of the surrounding tracks, which is especially needed before the closer. “Opus” finishes things off so intensely just as you start to think things are settling down. This song was supposedly written on the same day as “Instrumental,” which is insane yet believable. The angst on the track is palpable, and the horns ushering the song along are hypnotically relentless. The album ends just slowly enough to catch your breath and wonder where BC, NR will go from here.

This is a great debut album from a largely unknown group that I suspect will build a cult following of dedicated fans in no time. Every track is unique and intense in its own way, but not to the point that I haven’t had it on repeat since the project released. I highly suggest you check this one out.

Favorite tracks: “Instrumental”, “Athens, France”, “Sunglasses”, “Track X”, “Opus”

SCORE: 8/10