Feb 16
Black Country, New Road: Ants From Up There — Goosebumps Of An Album
The six-member band from Britain have released their new album Ants From Up There. With my free trial running up, I heard the album just in time on Spotify. Now I’m replaying it over and over again on YouTube. Ok, now that the introduction is out of the way, I can now get to my real motive for writing this review; the importance of jazzy, sassy, sad bands.
Ever since I heard Sunglasses on the train from Bristol to London, I knew that the band would be an emotional companion throughout other personal journeys. But what I didn’t expect was to eventually tear up to a song titled Bread Song, a well-needed trip to catharsis with no destination.
There is a particular cynical air of defeat in this album. Ants From Up There is packed with contradictions. They are beautifully conveyed by the jazzy instrumentals and impulsed even further by the modern-day referential lyrical writing style brought to life by the only Isaac Wood.
A Real Person Behind The Sadness 🍞
I would argue that this album is a masterpiece in large part due to Isaac Wood’s blatant transparency. The melancholy coming from his voice as he unfolds the story told by his music is genuine. Coming forward with this sad announcement was a brave personal choice, and no, I’m not surprised. This sadness he describes is palpable in his music.
I’m hoping he gets better and gets to do what he wants, whatever that may be. I fully agree with Professor Skye’s point of view here:
We got an iconic video (for Concorde), a second album and a sincere goodbye. Everything beautifully wrapped up the goosebump ride that is Ants From Up There. It is a victory for change 🥂.
