Ants From Up There
by Black Country, New Road

When I started listening to this album and was midway through Chaos Space Marine I thought to myself there is no way they can keep this level of quality up for an hour and they really proved me wrong. They have decided to change their style up from the first album and create a more grandeur sound and it really pays off. The rich instrumentation is a joy to listen to and so in depth that you can keep coming back and exploring more which is such a difficult feat to accomplish. The keyboard on this album is brilliant and is utilised just right to create the effect they are going for. The string arrangements are delicate and beautiful but also quick and aggressive and they aid in some fantastic tempo switches. Then there is the wind instruments which are performed phenomenally and are vital to this album as they create a lot of the sonic landscape on most tracks. Finally, the vocals and lyrics are outstanding and Isaac has massively improved his penmanship and vocal control. He weaves his way through his words creating a brilliant narrative on every song he is on and slowly builds up to these grand conclusions that are very rewarding for the listener. There is a lot of risks and experimentation on this album and I think it really pays off with the music sounding so rich and luxurious. There are no weak tracks and this album is consistently stunning. Overall, you could tell from their debut that this group had so much to offer and this demonstrates exactly that, as this record is just incredible. It is unfortunate to hear about Isaac leaving the band as this group is oozing potential and if they carried on the way they were going they could possibly be the greatest band of all time and possibly create the greatest album ever recorded as this one comes very close. (Edited)

From AvalancheGrips 02/05/2022 16:55 | #280785 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

These guys are really going to release AOTY twice in a row, aren't they?

I was not expecting to like this album nearly as much as I did. When I read that they wanted to be a new Arcade Fire, that kind of turned me off because I'm not a huge fan of Arcade Fire to be honest. However, this album captures every good part of Arcade Fire and then some.

This album is quite a departure from the heavy and groovy songs of For The First Time. While that album was purely post-punk and Slint tribute, this album is more art rock and even chamber pop. And it sounds amazing too, the production quality is fantastic.

One thing that I criticized their debut album for was not including enough performances from May Kershaw, their keyboardist. And sure enough, this album delivered because her performances are plentiful and truly amazing this time. Of course, Isaac's vocals and the performances from the violinist, Georgia, and the saxophonist, Lewis, are the usual highlights.

I'm truly impressed by this record. (Edited)

Rational and emotional, cheerful and deeply sad, it's amazing how this album integrates all the contradictions in a musical masterpiece. Best indie album we have heard since Carrie & Lowell and, if you want, since Funeral. Most of us agree and time will probably consolidate this position.

Two months in and we already have not just an album of the year contender, but possibly an album of the decade as well. (Edited)

Enjoying this after the first couple of listens though people calling it album of the year within days of its release and only 5 weeks into the year feels like it maybe slightly premature. Get the Arcade Fire comparisons but my initial likening was to Beirut which is no bad thing. I had tried with FTFT but hadn't really 'got' it but on listening to this it felt so different I went back and checked and all of a sudden their debut clicked with me. Will hold back on rating till I've let it gestate a while. (Edited)