Black Country, New Road Announce Long-Awaited Third Album, Forever Howlong

The English sextet's third LP arrives April 4 via Ninja Tune. Listen to "Besties" below.

Black Country, New Road Announce Long-Awaited Third Album, Forever Howlong

This morning, Black Country, New Road (BCNR) have announced their third studio album, Forever Howlong. The record is set to arrive April 4 via Ninja Tune. It’s been nearly three years since the band released Ants From Up There, an album so good it clocked in at #5 on our best albums of 2022 list and, in the years since, has appeared on our best albums of the decade so far (#69), too, and one of its tracks, “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade,” was named the 47th-best song of the 2020s so far, too.

Forever Howlong is BCNR’s first release since Live at Bush Hall in 2023, a live album that showcased the band’s current lineup: May Kershaw, Tyler Hyde, Lewis Evans, Charlie Wayne, Luke Mark and Georgia Ellery. The release of Ants From Up There was followed by the departure of then-lead vocalist Isaac Wood, but Forever Howlong is the first studio presentation of the remaining six members. And, given how good lead single “Besties” is, BCNR hasn’t lost a step. Ellery steps into the lead vocalist role flawlessly, her voice dappled in warmth by Kershaw’s harpsichord. The strings remind me of the opening to Van Morrison’s “Everyone,” and I especially love this line: “I’m a walking TikTok trend, but the color runs out in the end.”

Listen to “Besties” and check out the Forever Howlong artwork and tracklist below.

Forever Howlong Artwork:

Forever Howlong Tracklist:
Besties
The Big Spin
Socks
Salem Sisters
Two Horses
Mary
Happy Birthday
For the Cold Country
Nancy Tries to Take the Night
Forever Howlong
Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)

Black Country, New Road’s Upcoming Tour Dates:

North America
Sat, May 3 @ Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX — Mexico City, MX
Tue, May 13 @ Salt Shed – Chicago, IL, US [+ ~]
Wed, May 14 @ Slowdown – Omaha, NE, US [+]
Fri, May 16 @ Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO, US [*]
Sat, May 17 @ Kilby Block Party – Salt Lake City, UT, US
Mon, May 19 @ The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA, US [~]
Tue, May 20 @ The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA, US [~]
Thu, May 22 @ The Warfield – San Francisco, CA, US [~]
Fri, May 23 @ Roseland Theater – Portland, OR, US [~]
Sat, May 24 @Moore Theater – Seattle, WA, US [~]
+ w/Friko
* w/supporting St. Vincent
~ w/Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman

Europe & UK
Sat, 7 Jun @ Primavera Sound – Barcelona, ES
Fri, 15 Aug @ Paredes De Coura – Paredes De Coura, PT
Sun, 17 Aug @ Lowlands Festival – Biddinghuizen, NL
Thu, 28 – Sun 31 Aug @ End Of The Road – Dorset, UK
Thu, 11 Sep @ Rock City – Nottingham, UK
Fri, 12 Sep @ Albert Hall – Manchester, UK
Mon, 15 Sep @ Olympia – Dublin, IRE
Thu, 18 Sep @ Barrowlands – Glasgow, UK
Sat, 20 Sep @ The Glasshouse – Gateshead, UK
Mon, 22 Sep @ Beacon – Bristol, UK
Wed, 24 Sep @ The Corn Exchange – Cambridge, UK
Thu, 9 Oct @ Casino De Paris – Paris, FR
Fri, 10 Oct @ Stereolux – Nantes, FR
Sun, 12 Oct @ Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
Tue, 14 Oct @ Gloria – Cologne, DE
Wed, 15 Oct @ Astra – Berlin, DE
Fri, 17 Oct @ Vega – Copenhagen, NL
Sat, 18 Oct @ Fallan – Stockholm, SWE
Sun, 19 Oct @ Sentrum Scene – Oslo, NO
Tue, 21 Oct @ Mojo – Hamburg, GE
Wed, 22 Oct @ Roxy – Prague, CZ
Thu, 23 Oct @ Les Docks – Lausanne, SWI
Sat, 25 Oct @ Magazzini Generali – Milan, ITA
Sun, 26 Oct @ Epicerie Moderne – Lyon, FR
Tue, 28 Oct @ Ancienne Belgique – Brussels, BE
Thu, 30 Oct @ Brighton Dome – Brighton, UK
Fri, 31 Oct @ O2 Brixton Academy – London, UK

 
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