Matt’s Take: Much like Fiona Apple’s superb release in early 2020, I was not expecting an album to really win me over this soon into 2021. Thankfully, Black Country, New Road defied my expectations with “For the First Time.” This album is honestly everything I gush over in music, all blended together. It’s as if someone said, “Hey let’s mix “Spiderland,” “Schlagenheim,” and “Jazz From Hell.” It works to a hauntingly great degree, especially for a debut album.
With “Spiderland” by Slint being my favorite album of all-time, one would think that I would be weirded out at a new band approaching a similar style of album with varying genres. On the contrary, these new genre implementations make this album a true work of art. Black Country, New Road seems to operate on the same wavelength as Mr. Bungle, one of my favorite bands, in that they seem fearless taking every idea and throwing it at the wall. Even if the idea doesn’t conventionally stick, they confidently put it out there. The ambitious nature of music making like this gives me genuine goosebumps and makes me ask, where can music evolve from here?
I want to keep this review brief because you can already tell that I am absolutely in love with this album and I can’t get enough of it. This album actually serves as the first time I’ve ever listened to a new release, then ordered the vinyl within hours of finishing it. I didn’t need to sleep on it or digest the album more, this album hit me like a train full of an eccentric orchestra blasting cacophonous sound. What more do I need?
Three Standout Tracks: “Science Fair,” “Track X,” and “Opus.”
Overall Score: 10/10