For the first time

I heard Concorde off the new album and ordered it. Since that album was not yet released I ordered this one first. Glad I did. In some ways this record is tighter and more focused than the new release - though both are great albums. There is a thing they do with the horns and violin that sometimes reminds me of King Crimson... and then sometimes it sounds totally unique. This band really sounds like no one else and that is quite an accomplishment. Buy it... you won't be sorry.

This is a very good album - it's too bad it was ruined by a terrible pressing. My turntable was being repaired so I only played it for the first time today and missed my return window. if you buy the vinyl, play it right away and make sure it's a good pressing.

For the first timeLP, Box Set, Dual Disc, CD Single, Hybrid SACD.The description for this product. However, only the vinyl arrived in the package, no CD. Don't get me wrong, I am happy with the purchase, as I love this new band from the UK, but one would assume the delivered package would match the description.

The album sounds great and plays beautifully on the A side, but for some reason the B side is noticeable quieter (to the point where it isn’t loud enough with my speakers on max). Kinda frustrating since Track X is my favorite and it’s on the B side :(

No skips, great album, one disc. Just how I like it.

Good album lol

I bought this album on the strength of some glowing critics reviews. A young 7 piece band with 3 girls and 4 guys, with distinctive cracked partly spoken enigmatic lead vocals delivered by Isaac Wood. They are described on their own website as having a sound of experimental rock and post punk and being compared with 90's acts like Slint, who I am not personally familiar with.Their debut album, For The First Time, only has 6 tracks clocking in at 40 minutes in total. The opening track titled "Instrumental" is just that, but to my ears surprisingly sounds like an Eastern European gypsy jazz folk ensemble playing full on, having a great fun time together, and is fairly accessible . The next couple of tracks feature the largely spoken strange sometimes cracked and over the top vocals of Isaac Wood, intertwined with fairly jarring electric guitar and squawking saxophone and I think clarinet. The 2nd track Athens, France is not too overboard, but the 3rd track Science Fair has rather nerdy introspective lyrics and full on over the top loud disruptive instruments vying with each other. Easy listening it definitely isn't, and for me it smacks of this young band trying too hard to be different and stand out from the crowd, but it all becomes too self indulgent, rather wearing and not that enjoyable.4th track Sunglasses was apparently previously released as a single last year, and has then been re-recorded with a more muscular arrangement. A long rambling track that changes tempo several times, with histrionic again fairly obscure lyrics. It does build up progressively and has the repeated refrain "I'm More Than Adequate, Leave Kanye Out Of This " working himself into a frenzy, and maybe showing an inferiority complex. It has something about it in terms of passion and vibrancy, but for me the odd self indulgent lyrics and over the top playing ultimately detract from the listening experience.Track X, the 5th song on the album is gentler, more melodic, a bit more hypnotic and trance like, much more my cup of tea, and for me shows a lot more promise and is an enjoyable listen, also including some female harmony vocals, the best thing on the album. .The final track, Opus , starts with a long instrumental lead in, again sounding to me like an Eastern European jazzy folk gypsy song for the first 2 minutes, intriguing and fun, before Isaac's strange slanted vocals come in for a while. It then transforms to almost prog rock and full on freeform jazzy outflows intervening at frenetic pace, with the players trying to outdo each , then suddenly going back slow and quiet with the vocals returning again. It then builds up with Isaac going into more histrionics and most of the instruments joining in towards a big climax, then a quieter subdued passage follows to close the 8 minute track.So far I have only listened to this a couple of times. There are some in jokes , references to Springsteen's Thunder Road, and "Black Country" being referenced in a couple of different songs. At times it all feels a bit mannered art school , trying to be too clever for its own good, and becoming rather infuriating. From reading an interview with them, this is very much marking their initial rites of passage, they are already moving on to a different sound and starting to now work on their 2nd album which will show them evolving and have a different sound.I think some of the critics reviews that I have read seem a bit over the top in their high praise for this debut album. It shows lots of promise and potential, but at times is very raw, rather jumbled and sounds part formed. Perhaps they will steady down and rein in some of their excesses and become a bit more transparent in what their songs are about in due course. For me good in some parts, but a bit too challenging and obscure in other places, all trying a bit too hard to be distinctly different, and not something I will regularly listen too long term as a consequence. It will be fascinating to see what they come up with for their next album. If they keep it more melodic with less histrionics then I might stay on board for the journey longer term,

Bought this on the back of a rave review in The Guardian. The musicianship cannot be faulted. But it mostly a racket and the guy can't sing.

Saw this band on BBC iPlayer Radio 6 festival and thought interesting they reminded me a little of the Canadian band 'Arcade Fire'.I watched them twice and thought I need the album, it was also with Auto rip so got an immediately onto Amazon Music nice bonus.I read a few reviews just to find out what others thoughts were. There was one which went on and on more like something from a boardsheet newspaper, and I believe written by someone who is very much up their own bottom and definitely is not a musician or who plays any instrument. Music is for us to enjoy, question, feel emotions in whatever form it takes.

Eccola qua, l'ennesima (abbiamo tutti perso il conto vero....) big thing o next big things o chiamatela come vi pare, del nuovo rock inglese. Post punk, post rock post un pò tutto, la musica dei Black Country New Road è stata definita in tanti modi. Certo è che si è scritto davvero tutto e di più di questa/e band, tanto che a volte tendo a guardare a tutte queste loro con un misto di curiosità e scetticismo. Perchè la domanda che mi viene spontanea è... ma quante band geniali ci sono in giro oggi come oggi?Se i Black Country sono dei geni o meno non ne ho idea, che siano bravissimi e interessantissimi ne sono certo. Non creano nulla, riciclano tantissimo, ma in maniera talmente gustosa che proprio non riesci a definirli semplicemente citazionisti. E poi sono furbi, hanno sbandierato ai quattro venti quali sono le loro influenze e i loro ascolti abituali...hanno messo le mani avanti. E quindi se avete letto che qui dentro trovate Shabaka Hutchings, la Exploding Star Orchestra, i Black Midi, i King Crimson gli Slint e i June of 44, beh, cavolo è vero. Ma altro ancora, davvero altro ancora.. questi baldi ragazzoni inglesi non saranno geni ma sono degli alchimisti sonici di prima categoria, astuti, musicalmente preparati, energici come pochi. Questa è musica che coinvolge cuore e sensi. E non capita spesso....E allora lasciamo perdere le etichette da appiccicare ad ogni ascolto, questo è un bell'esempio di ambiziosa musica totale, sfacciato ed arrogante quanto basta.Una delle cose destinate a segnare il 2021? Perche no?

Unusual mixture of genres. Gd debut for young british band.