Their debut album is getting the best reviews of the year so far, even inspiring a craft IPA with its lyrics. But this inventive seven-piece are already looking forward to what’s next
“I was expecting sevens out of 10 at best,” says saxophonist Lewis Evans, discussing reviews of his band’s debut album. “Not everyone likes what you do. You discover that on Twitter when you’re played on 6Music: 20% really like it, 50% don’t give a shit and 30% absolutely hate it.”
Despite that demographic breakdown, Black Country, New Road find themselves in a whirlwind of hype. Fusing post-rock, klezmer, post-punk, jazz and art-pop, they have been declared “Britain’s best new band” by Mojo; the Quietus went one further and suggested the entire world, and Evans’s predicted 7/10s have been widely trumped. “It’s weird,” says bassist Tyler Hyde. “We’re just seven best mates making music. The attention is an honour but I don’t really connect with it.”
