(NT) Black Country, New Road have today released their new album 'Forever Howlong' on Ninja Tune. 'Forever Howlong' is their first studio release since 2022's 'Ants From Up There', which landed prominently in the UK Albums charts (#3), and Billboard charts (including #12 Top Album Sales, #1 Heatseekers, #35 Independent Albums, #24 Top Alternative Albums, and #38 Top Rock Albums).
On top of a 'Best New Music' from Pitchfork, and a 'critics pick' review from the New York Times, the record was hailed as one of the year's best from the likes of NPR, FADER, Variety, Stereogum, Consequence, Paste, A.V Club and many more. It also scored the #1 spot on review aggregator site Album of the Year and #3 on both Any Decent Music and Metacritic (with the record also being the #33 best reviewed album of ALL TIME on Metacritic), and #3 by Stereogum's readers in the Gummy Awards. It also gave the band their second Top-5 UK album in 12 months alongside their Mercury Prize shortlisted debut 'For the first time', and followed 2023's 'Live at Bush Hall', an album The Guardian claimed was a "magical resurgence" in a triumphant five-star review and Pitchfork described as "their champagne-popping send-off to a tough, turbulent year."
The long-awaited new record was produced by James Ford (Fontaines D.C., Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur) and sees Black Country, New Road settled into a new shape in which vocal duties - and most of the song writing - is split between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, and May Kershaw. The album was announced alongside it's expansive and joyous opener "Besties", which was met by rapturous praise from both their incredibly dedicated fans and media alike. The track was recently followed up with "Happy Birthday". Inspired by the former single, it is a perfect example of how songs on 'Forever Howlong' are connected in spirit and tone but still feel like very standalone pieces of work.
As with the songs from their 'Live at Bush Hall' release, Black Country, New Road- who in 2024 sold out dates across the US and performed at Coachella, Glastonbury, Primavera, Green Man, and Pitchfork London - have been road testing material from 'Forever Howlong' on stage across the year. Through fan recordings and the band's own constant reinvention, these songs have largely taken shape in plain sight and with the full support of their international fanbase. Despite moving swiftly on after each record, and never having conventionally toured in support of a studio album, the band's fervent following has only grown and grown regardless.
The band will take to the road again in 2025 in support of the album. Dates will start with the aforementioned UK tour in April, ahead of the band's North American dates in May, as well as festival appearances at Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX, Primavera Sound Barcelona, Paredes De Coura in Portugal, plus a full UK / EU tour in September and October, ending on their biggest headliner yet at London's O2 Brixton Academy. Additionally, listening parties for the new record will take place across North America on Thursday, April 3rd, with over 100 independent retail stores participating in the US and Canada.