Release Rundown – Black Country, New Road, Cassels, Rolo Tomassi and Thank

Words: Ben Forrester

Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There
(Ninja Tune)

At the time of writing, Isaac Wood, vocalist and guitarist in Black Country, New Road, has just announced his departure from the band, alluding to mental health reasons. Admittedly it’s come as a shock to us all, particularly with this here second album just about to land and it’s hard to imagine the band without his distinctive vocals. But with the band vowing to continue, ‘Ants From Up There‘ acts as the perfect swan song for this chapter of the collective.

After seeing the band air a lot of new material live last summer, I remember thinking there was a definite change of pace from the genre shifting drama of ace debut ‘For The First Time’. With a focus on slow burning, post-rock dynamics, ‘Ants From Up There’ swaps intensity for atmosphere, bringing in new layers of beauty and vulnerability.

The intro is a jubilant, math-y burst of staccato sax and piano stabs that towers overtop a driving, full band backing. It’s such an uplifting start that is almost over too quickly, but brilliantly leads into the sprightly, orchestral indie pop of ‘Chaos Space Marine’. It’s a head on start to the album that feels bright and elegant, but it’s when we get to shimmering indie epic ‘Concorde’ that the beauty of this record really begins to shine.

Dynamically, you can’t help but be engulfed by the songwriting here; the build in ‘Good Will Hunting’ is nothing short of heart-bursting, while the drum track on ’Snow Globes’ is incredibly encompassing. They always know how to keep you interested as a listener, but there’s a fluidity to the compositions here that feels tighter, stronger and even more engaging.

‘Ants From Up There’ retains the excitement and theatre of its predecessor but adds new levels of depth, warmth and even romance. Though it’s sad to think of this as Isaac’s last outing with the band, especially with him putting in such incredibly raw and emotive performances, I still feel hope gleaming through this record, particularly in the instrumentals. And with this I feel a lot of optimism and excitement going forward for this supremely talented group.

Cassels – A Gut Feeling
(God Unknown Records)

There was a point where Cassels seemed like a band that never stopped, with an arsenal of releases (including two full lengths) and countless tours across the past 7+ years. But, like the rest of us, the brothers Beck found themselves in the midst of some unexpected downtime, allowing them to work on new material at a slightly slower pace. Still keeping their noise punk credentials firmly in place, they looked at how they could evolve their two piece sound, and the result is their most assured work to date.

My first thought when hearing ‘A Gut Feeling’ was how raging it is. Huge riffs tower over crashing, muscular drums with ever eloquent yet snarling spoken word vocals. For this third album, guitarist and vocalist Jim looked into writing character based stories in which he found himself able to inject even more personal thoughts and feelings through these characters. It can go from intense to thrilling to even heart-breaking in the blink of an eye.

While the likes of ‘Mr Henderson Coughs’ and ‘Charlie Goes Skiing’ are arguably the most dramatic and gnarliest tunes they’ve penned, ‘Family Visits Relatives‘ and ‘Dog Drops Bone‘ nearly reduced me to tears with there brutal realism and stripped back arrangements. This is pretty potent stuff – at first I just wanted to be battered round the chops with noisy rock songs, but the depths this album goes to can be rather breath-taking.

‘A Gut Feeling‘ requires the same amount of attention that was put into it. It’s not an album that you can digest straight away. Though it has some pretty immediate moments on it, as a whole piece it’s a record that soaks into your skin more on each listen. The foundations of what makes Cassels such a great brand are still firmly in place, but with subtle sonic switch ups and a deeper understanding into composition and texture, Loz and Jim have made their best record by a country mile.

Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory
(MNRK)

I have a vivid memory of hearing the first Rolo Tomassi EP back in 2006 and being blown away by its mathcore madness. Forever pushing the boundaries of alternative metal, It’s been extremely interesting to see this band’s journey unfold over the years.

Here we land at their sixth album, ‘Where Myth Becomes Memory’, which comes four years on from the critically acclaimed ‘Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It’. To my mind this album feels like the third part in a trilogy of albums which started with ‘Grievances’ in 2015. Though I have a lot of positive things to say about the last two albums, I did sometimes feel that the band were still working out the kinks, heading towards their masterpiece. I think it’s fair to say that this record is definitely that.

Never have Rolo Tomassi sounded so humongous. I’ve always enjoyed their sharp dynamic twists, often going from the extremely heavy to the beautifully melodic, but on this album there is this expertly executed blend which sends the songs into the stratosphere. ‘Cloaked’, ‘Drip’ and ‘To Resist Forgetting’ are superb examples of combining ethereal yet Instant melodies over the top of bone-crushing metal-core riffs. And they sound even more powerful and fearless for it.

It’s also really great to see them push the post-rock undertones of the last two records. It’s something I’ve really wanted to hear the band move into and you could not get more gorgeously expansive than ‘Closer’ or enticingly transcendent as ‘Almost Always’.

Rolo Tomassi have done this really rare thing of trimming the fat but also knowing when to hit you at the right moment. The emotional core of this album has never felt stronger, sometimes it being the instrumentation that completely catches you off guard (the piano passage in ‘Mutual Ruin’ is quite possibly the most stop you in your tracks moment they’ve made). I know I’ve already made a pretty sweeping statement in this rundown, but it must be said that ’Where Myth Becomes Memory’ is the sound of a band at their most realised and is quite possibly their strongest and best album to date.

Thank – Thoughtless Cruelty
(Box Records)

We’ve said it a few times across these pages, but there’s definitely something in the water up in that there Leeds. It’s like you know whenever you see the words ‘Leeds band‘ that you’re going to be impressed. Although, Thank frontman Freddy does state on this record that there’s never been a good band from Leeds. Or London for that matter. But he’s wrong, because Thank have been the DIY scenes best kept secret for a number of years now and we are chuffed to finally have a debut album to sink our teeth into.

‘Thoughtless Cruelty’ continues to expand the horizons of this brilliantly bonkers band, making obnoxious noise fuelled punk for the dance floors. Recent single ‘Good Boy’ is a gleaming example of the above statement, battering your ears with hypnotic sub bass that builds into a disco punk banger from hell, sounding like Gilla Band being possessed by old Lucifer himself.

Described by the band as a stark observation of human cruelty, this is very much an edge of your seat sort of record, often exploding into a rampage of thick bass, spiky guitars, acid dipped keys and groovy beats. On top of this we have Freddy shouting his head off with superbly executed one-liners that range from anxious and intense to sarcastic and witty. The description of viewing the house that smells like grilled sausage and old boots on the electrifying ‘Dread’ is equally hilarious and grimly relatable.

As a fan of the band’s previous releases, it’s really great to see them push the limitations of the foundations they’ve already set. They’ve gone deeper and darker into their sound – everything sounds beefed up and compositionally they really know how to draw you in, scare the shit out of you then just ascend into an utterly thrilling world of chaos. ‘Thoughtless Cruelty’ is intensely smart, beautifully detailed and totally batshit crazy. Welcome to the new norm.

Like what you see? Why not stick around and check out the other articles and interviews!
Don’t forget to follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Live Review: Black Country, New Road at Yes in Manchester 25 June 2021

Words: Ben Forrester

It was only a couple of months ago that I reviewed a Black Country, New Road gig. The main difference was that it was a live stream, which has been the only viable source of live music recently. But tonight! We are actually at a fucking venue! For me, this is my first gig since March 2020 and those that follow these pages will be aware that that is a ridiculously long time for most of the BCFB team! So it’s a pleasure to be in Manchester watching one of the UK’s best young bands as part of a full, socially distanced UK tour.

After a quick pre-gig pint (which in itself has been somewhat of an alien concept to us recently), we enter the Pink Room in Yes to be greeted by drummer Charlie addressing the audience. He thanks everyone for coming along and tells us how much fun it’s been to be back on the road this past fortnight. He then tells us that the band will be playing some new material that is very much a work in progress, politely asking If we could refrain from recording during those moments. I look around and see the room nodding along, happy to oblige with the wishes of the band. With this being a seated gig, it instantly feels more civilised and I for one am chuffed to not worry about some mad’ed behind me spilling their pint everywhere.

Charlie exits the stage and only a couple of minutes later we hear the Doctor Who theme tune ringing out from the PA. The seven members of Black Country, New Road enter the stage and immediately rip into the wonderfully rousing, scene setting ‘Instrumental’. Not only does this open their superb debut album, ‘For The First Time’, released earlier this year, but it also acts as an excellent start to the set, fizzing away with its urgent keyboard motif and swirling saxophone melody. The rest of the set flickers between these new tracks we’ve been told about, mixed with select cuts from the LP; in fact, with it only being six songs long, we actually get about three quarters of the album!!

The new songs continue the progressive nature of the record but definitely look closer at the orchestral elements of the band, focusing on building these big flourishes of sound, giving the strings and brass more space to breathe than before. They definitely feel less dramatic than the album, sinking more into groove and melody for some really stunning moments.

All three new tracks are greeted with an extremely warm reception and I find myself looking over to our faithful editor and whispering words like ‘lovely, that’. One thing that really excites me about this band is how together they all are, they all have their own individual stage presence and there is a quiet confidence to each member as they play these new songs as if they’ve been part of the set for years.

But of course, it’s really great to hear the likes of ‘Track X’, ‘Opus’ and ‘Sunglasses’ played live! Honestly, it felt like quite a moment when the delectable, twiddly riff of ‘Sunglasses’ came in and just hearing the excitement within the room. It also helps that guitarist/vocalist Isaac wears sunglasses for the entire set, a nice and ironic little nod I felt. I’ve been told that BC,NR like to mix things up a bit and rarely stick to the recorded arrangement of a song. Although I do love the ferocious breakdown in ‘Sunglasses’, it’s cool to hear them take it apart and finish the song with this slow burning build that develops into a big crescendo of noise.

It’s subtle changes that I find really engaging and I’ve always enjoyed the idea of never quite getting the same performance from a band. But of course, hearing the beautifully candid backing vocal melody in ‘Track X’ is a heart swelling moment.

Honestly, I’ve been dreaming about this gig for quite some time now and it couldn’t have been a more perfect comeback show for us. It was great to hear this incredible record played live, it was great to hear new interpretations of the songs that I’ve had on repeat for months and it was also really great to hear an exciting new band building towards something new. If anything, it’s got me excited to see how well this live show will translate in a huge room. There was still a real sense of energy in the room and it was great to see the majority of the audience fully bopping about in their chairs with the band seemingly smiling back. Honestly, a lovely and slightly emotional return back to live music with definitely one of the more unique bands to come out of the country in recent times.

Like what you see? Why not stick around and check out the other articles and interviews!
Don’t forget to follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

What I Watched This Weekend – Black Country, New Road and Billy Nomates Live Stream Reviews

Words: Ben Forrester

At the back end of last week, I was alerted to not one but two live streams that were due for broadcast on Saturday. So, naturally I felt compelled to tell you all about them because well, artists are working really hard to promote their music without the usual touring cycle and live streams are the best way to do that right now. With the increasing possibility of live music returning later in the year, live streams are getting us one step closer to the real McCoy, so it was lovely to watch two really exciting new acts present their unique live shows through the magic of television.

Black Country, New Road at the Southbank Centre in London

It was just last month that Cambridge based collective Black Country, New Road released their long awaited debut album ‘For The First Time’. I’ll be the first to admit, I was quite on the fence when first hearing this record (leading to a fairly on the fence review in these very pages), but like all good music, this is an album that has grown on me immensely and lives up to the hype that still very much surrounds it. Following an improvised live set to commemorate the album’s release a few weeks back, the seven piece took to the quite frankly massive stage at Queen Elizabeth Hall to perform their first fully fledged live show for the record.

Known for using free visual site Unsplash for their artwork, the band decked out the stage with three huge screens, each projecting various moving images, some projections even splashing out into the near empty auditorium. I say near empty because I noticed a small amount of audience members thinly spread out across the room, their purpose to be revealed throughout the set.

We begin the show with a piece unbeknownst to myself, ‘Mark’s Theme’, which is a beautiful, scene setting track led by saxophone gently introducing the rest of the band before launching into sprightly album opener ‘Instrumental’. It’s here that we really start to see the intensity of this band unfold, drum fills going off here, there and everywhere, a manic keyboard line stabbing away over the top of building guitars, strings and brass. The band themselves play it straight faced, some stand with blank expressions not even looking at what they’re playing, while others writhe around the stage, hypnotised by what they’re playing. I can feel the visceral energy radiating from the TV and I have to say, it’s quite compelling seeing seven people look so within their own worlds come together as one big unit.

Black Country, New Road manage to bash through the whole album hardly breaking a sweat, moving from the graceful, post rock crescendo of ‘Athens, France’ into the feral, noise rock drama of ‘Science Fair’ without a bead. I must admit, I wasn’t too sure on the latter track for a while, but I’ve gone full circle with it and that breakdown (yeah, you heard me) nearly made me put my fist through the telly! Proper raging stuff! Then, just when you feel like you need a breather, they hit us with the phenomenal ‘Sunglasses’, a complete tour de force of dynamics and sonic theatre.

Although I notice that some of the tracks are arranged slightly differently than on record, I love that – I’ve listened to this album so much lately, it’s really cool to see them mess around with it in a live forum. After all, I think that’s what can be so exciting about live music; it gives you a different experience.

Speaking of which, it’s at this moment we get some relief with the gorgeous emo tinged stylings of ‘Track X’ and the scattered audience stand, microphones in hand to add beautiful, heart wrenching backing vocals into the set. They also contribute to two further tracks in the set, ending with ‘Basketball Shoes’, a track left off the album but one that has been played to close many of their live sets. It’s a completely humungous and dramatic ending, especially with the whole band screaming in unison with their mini backing choir. There’s a lot of power behind this show. Black Country, New Road really know how to fill the sound of a big room and draw you in with their apocalyptic brand of alt rock. Honestly, with the album nailed and the live show done, it’s time to get excited.

Billy Nomates – Emergency Telephone Live at The Louisiana in Bristol

Last year saw Bristol based musician Tor Maries launch her brilliant self-titled debut album as Billy Nomates. Packed to the rafters with massive hooks and mega catchy melodies, there was no denying the strength of this song writing talent. Of course, with touring plans on halt, this has been a time for artists to dive into new projects and lucky for us, Billy Nomates returns only a few months since her LP with a brand new five track EP.

To celebrate the release of ‘Emergency Telephone’ just this Friday gone, we have a live performance of the full EP filmed at legendary Bristol venue The Louisiana. In a live setting, Billy Nomates sees Tor armed with a laptop and a microphone. In the same vein as her pals Sleaford Mods, you just cannot fuck with this set up. It is the true vision of this artist, darting around on stage, laying it all out.

The EP itself is just glorious. Continuing the post-punk goes pop stylings of her debut, it’s really cool to see some more dance inspired, electronica elements come in, especially on the title track, as well as some lovely 80’s pop flourishes on the superb closer ‘Petrol Fumes’. The stage set on the night is a backdrop of foil streamers that refract and swirl around strong washes of blue and red lightning. It’s such a simple set up, but it’s incredibly effective and really striking against the energy these songs exudes, particularly on recent single and total bopper ‘Heels’.

The first thing that really strikes me here is the power of Tor’s voice. As much as I like seeing an act take their sound and do something different live, I also adore seeing an act completely nail their sound live and play with such clarity you think you’re listening to the record. I completely love the soul within her voice and I really think she’s explored that more on this EP as she belts out utterly incredible vocal harmonies, really punctuating the power of these hooks.

The other thing that really strikes about Billy Nomates live show is the power and ferocity of her performance. She completely demands the stage, which is why I’m glad that her live show is just her because that’s all you need. At times it’s like watching a dance show as she uses the spaces and interludes of songs to sway and move along with the soundscape. You are just transfixed by her movement because you know that she is feeling every wave of sound. But adding in a stunning vocal that soars over these amazing songs creates such a captivating performance and as said before, you just cannot fuck with this. Demanding the stage and demanding your attention, Billy Nomates is the real deal.

Like what you see? Why not stick around and check out the other articles and interviews!
Don’t forget to follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Release Rundown – TV Priest, John Carpenter and Black Country, New Road

Words: Ben Forrester

We return, once again with our release rundown for the week, reviewing some brand new records ready for your aural consumption. As we always like to gently remind you, these releases are available to buy on the artists web stores as well as online at your favourite record shop.

TV Priest – Uppers
(Sub Pop)

Having only ever played one gig, it seemed London newcomers TV Priest made a lasting impression, getting signed to release their debut single last year which was subsequently all over the wireless. With a debut album all ready to go, it somehow found its way into the hands of legendary label Sub Pop who came straight in with a release offer. As you can imagine for a band that have only played one gig and released two singles, to get signed to Sub Pop is a bloody big deal. So when first listening to ‘Uppers’, the cynical side of me did ask ‘why them?’

The answer is simple; TV Priest take the best bits of the current post-punk invasion and sculpt engaging, well written tunes. ‘The Big Curve’ starts us off with spiky guitar stabs that remind me of the track ‘Bunker Buster’, a pure shot of adrenaline on Preoccupations debut record when they were known as Viet Cong. ‘Press Gang’ keeps this energy up with a full pelt bass/beat combo before spilling out into a sea of snotty guitar riffs tumbling over the motorised rhythm it’s come from. It definitely fits in with the current crop, but it’s how the guitars are played and switched up between usually effect-heavy keyboards that remind me a lot of that mid 00’s indie punk scene. From the noise pop moments of early Tokyo Police Club to an almost No Age level of texture, this is clearly the sound of a band utilising their full toolbox.

Amongst a solid run of opening hits, we then run into ‘History Week’, an ambient inspired interlude. Weirdly, it doesn’t feel out of place due to the subtle textures that are weaved into the fabrics of the rest of the record, as skipping rhythms and fuzzy squeaks sway in the distance. It’s a beautifully layered extract and it’s at this moment that the promise of this band really starts to shine. Of course, after that we jump back into the bangers; ‘Slideshow’ stealing the show on the second side, boasting a totally euphoric chorus! Also, I have to point out the bass tone throughout this album, it almost sounds like the strings are about to snap at any moment because they’re super detuned. It’s the subtleties in both the production and performances that makes you tune in, waiting for a small sonic blast to pop out at you.

I think that’s the nail on the head; on the surface ‘Uppers’ is a decent post punk debut, but listen in and it’s definitely trying to add in its own twists. It’s this one foot forward mentality that gives TV Priest their mission statement, justifying their Sub Pop stamp of approval.

John Carpenter – Lost Themes III: Alive After Death
(Sacred Bones)

A pioneer of the horror world in both music and film; John Carpenter returns with his acclaimed Lost Theme series. Having taken his legendary film soundtracks on the road a few years back, John enlisted the help of his son Cody and godson Daniel to not only help recreate these sounds live but also devise new music. The concept of Lost Themes is that of an imagined soundtrack to the film inside your head and saw the trio fill out rooms around the globe in support of the first two volumes.

‘Alive After Death’ is very much a continuation of that now classic Carpenter sound, doused in bolshy synth bass lines, ominous melodies and scattering 808 high hats. Opening on its title track, you’re immediately suckered into his world, glacial synth textures building slowly with this simplistic yet infectious melody line proudly sitting on top. It eventually builds to a subtle yet well weighted beat drop that brings in this proper wailing 80s guitar solo. At this point it feels like a well used throwback to the era that sculpted Carpenter’s career, bringing in a warm sense of nostalgia.

There are times when this more vintage tone can be tasteful but others where it can feel a little dated. Tracks like ‘Skeleton’ and ‘The Dead Walk’ kinda sounds like Rammstein covering Alice Deejay; I mean no disrespect to either of those artists but it’s just not a cool sounding combo. But then you get tracks like ‘Turning the Bones’, a beautiful enveloping, expansive piece of synth work which proves the strong hold he’s had over the electronica soundtrack scene all these years.

‘Alive After Death’ definitely serves its job as being the soundtrack in your head and does continually bring a high level of atmosphere throughout which I think is its main draw. I get the feeling that this is meant to be very much a look back into Carpenter’s career with a feeling of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’. With that in mind this is a record to be taken at face value but definitely has enough to keep the soundtrack heads satisfied.

Black Country, New Road – For The First Time
(Ninja Tune)

It was at the back of 2019 that we first got introduced to Cambridge formed outfit Black Country, New Road. Their eight plus minute debut single ‘Sunglasses’ was scooped up by the 6music crowd and naturally garnered a considerable amount of hype. Thankfully, the pandemic has not slowed down the train as the seven piece have been quietly preparing for the release of this their debut album.

What initially intrigued me about this band was the broad range of influences stuffed into just one track. ‘Sunglasses’ was a compelling intro that took us on a journey through free-form jazz, post punk with a little bit of early 00’s emo chucked in. And it’s this same melting pot of sound that bubbles throughout ‘For The First Time’. From noise driven wigs outs to beautiful, post-rock inspired crescendos, they’ve definitely done their homework with some solid reference points. Incorporating strings and brass into the fold also really helps accentuate the extreme dynamics within their sound, whether it’s squawking saxophone or lush violin sweeps.

However, there are elements of this record that don’t grab me in the way they’re maybe supposed to. Recent single ‘Science Fair’ almost tries a bit too hard with its intensity, I don’t quite get it’s warbly vocal style, it just seems a little forced. I get that it’s supposed to be a bit ramshackle but it just misses memorability. And opening track ‘instrumental’ tries to marry a quirky Balearic rhythm with this melancholic melody sauntering underneath. Tonally, it just doesn’t quite fit in with the same sense of drama you hear throughout the rest of the record. I understand that this is an encompassing and dynamic set but I just can’t shake that unevenness in the track-list, it disrupts what actually saves it.

It would be unfair of me to write this album off because it does home some lovely textures and melodies. Recent single ‘Track X’ is a particular highlight, showing a glistening twiddle pop sheen that reminds me of Oxford’s best kept secret Youthmovies and ‘Athens, France’ closes on this glorious math infused beat with a sumptuous orchestral flourish. You can’t deny the strong sense of ambition that lies within ‘For The First Time’ but a little more focus in the songwriting will give Black Country, New Road the staying power they need to keep their hype train running.

Like what you see? Why not stick around and check out the other articles and interviews!
Don’t forget to follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter