Forever Howlong: Black Country, New Road Turn Loss Into a Lush New Identity

Black Country, New Road have rebuilt themselves in public. After their frontman’s departure, the remaining members could have folded. Instead, they turned their loss into a new shape: a six-piece collective with three singers, violin in the mix, and a sound that swaps post-punk anxiety for baroque folk-pop warmth. Forever Howlong, their third album, is the fullest statement of that reinvention yet — 11 tracks and 52 minutes of ornate, communal, often gorgeous music that rewards patience and repeat listens.

The record arrives with strong early notices. Metacritic scores it 83 out of 100, and Pitchfork gives it a 7.5. The critical consensus holds that this is an ambitious, warmly received evolution, one that trades jagged tension for something more tender and strange. It is a fair read. But the album is better than its reception suggests — it is a confident, coherent piece of work that finds the band sounding liberated rather than lost.

Three Voices, One Band

The most obvious change is vocal. Georgia Ellery, Tyler Hyde, and May Kershaw now share lead duties, and their interplay defines the record. Each brings a distinct character: Ellery’s airy clarity, Hyde’s sturdy warmth, Kershaw’s theatrical edge. The band leans into that variety, writing songs that feel like conversations rather than statements.

The result is a record that never settles into a single mood. It shifts from the playful to the solemn, from the twee to the tense, often within a single track. That range is the album’s greatest strength and, occasionally, its weakness — some songs meander where earlier work would have cut through. But the meandering rarely feels like padding. It feels like exploration.

Walking the Track List

The album opens with “Besties,” a bright, almost giddy introduction that sets the tone. It is an easy entry point, catchy and warm, and it signals clearly that this is not the band you heard before. The song earned early attention for good reason — it is a hook-first statement of intent.

“The Big Spin” follows at just over two and a half minutes, the shortest track here. It is a quick, slightly dizzying burst, more sketch than song, and it works as a palate cleanser before the longer pieces arrive.

“Socks” is the first real stretch. At six minutes, it unfolds slowly, building from a quiet start into something fuller. It is patient in a way the band’s older material rarely was, and it rewards that patience with a gentle, persistent payoff. This is where the new sound really clicks.

“Salem Sisters” pulls back to three minutes and change. It is one of the more direct tracks, with a clear melodic spine and a slightly ominous undertone that recalls the band’s earlier edge. It is a useful reminder that they have not lost their bite — they have just learned to smile more often.

“Two Horses” is a highlight, and it is easy to hear why critics singled it out. At six and a half minutes, it is one of the album’s longest and most ambitious pieces, moving through several distinct sections with confidence. It feels like the band’s new thesis in miniature: intricate, warm, and never quite predictable.

“Mary” and “Happy Birthday” sit back to back, both just over four minutes. They are the album’s middle, and they are solid without being spectacular. “Mary” has a lovely central melody; “Happy Birthday” is more playful, almost theatrical. Neither outstays its welcome, but neither demands your full attention the way the longer tracks do.

“For the Cold Country” is another standout. It is a slow-burning, atmospheric piece that builds to a satisfying climax. It is one of the most emotionally direct songs here, and it lands with real weight.

“Nancy Tries to Take the Night” is the longest track at six minutes and 37 seconds, and it earns its length. It is the most ambitious arrangement on the record, with shifting dynamics and a narrative pull that keeps you engaged to the end. This is the song that best captures the band’s new range.

The title track, “Forever Howlong,” is a hinge moment. It is reflective and slightly bittersweet, a moment of calm before the closer. Then “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)” ends the record on a note that feels like both an ending and a beginning. It is a strong closer, and it leaves you wanting to start the album again.

The Shape of the Record

Forever Howlong is not a collection of singles. It is a record that asks to be heard in order, and it rewards that attention.

The running order matters. The shorter tracks are placed to break up the longer ones, and the sequencing gives the album a natural arc from bright opener to bittersweet farewell. It is a record that understands pacing, which is rarer than it should be.

AllMusic called it “just as wily and unpredictable as anything they’ve done before, but with the added bonus of being delivered by three distinctive voices.” That is accurate. Mojo called it “a remarkably unified — and gloriously intriguing — piece of work.” Also accurate. Pitchfork described it as “an ambitious and unabashedly twee album overflowing with baroque flourishes and communal spirit.”

The Verdict

This is a band that lost its lead singer and found a new identity.

Forever Howlong is not a consolation prize or a transitional record. It is a confident, cohesive album that stands on its own terms, with three singers who give it a range the band never had before. It occasionally meanders, and it does not have the relentless momentum of earlier work. But it has something else: a warmth and a generosity that feels earned.

It is a remarkably unified piece of work.

album review · baroque pop · Black Country New Road · Forever Howlong · UK music