Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There

Black Country, New Road return with the news that their second album, “Ants From Up There”, will land on February 4th on Ninja Tune. Following on almost exactly a year to the day from the release of their acclaimed debut “For the first time”, the band have harnessed the momentum from that record and run full pelt into their second, with “Ants From Up There” managing to strike a skilful balance between feeling like a bold stylistic overhaul of what came before, as well as a natural progression.

Released alongside the announcement the band (Lewis Evans, May Kershaw, Charlie Wayne, Luke Mark, Isaac Wood, Tyler Hyde and Georgia Ellery) have also today shared the first single from the album, ‘Chaos Space Marine’, a track that has already become a live favourite with fans since its first public airings earlier this year – combining sprightly violin, rhythmic piano, and stabs of saxophone to create something infectiously fluid that builds to a rousing crescendo. It’s a track that frontman Isaac Wood calls “the best song we’ve ever written.” It’s a chaotic yet coherent creation that ricochets around unpredictably but also seamlessly. “We threw in every idea anyone had with that song,” says Wood. “So the making of it was a really fast, whimsical approach – like throwing all the shit at the wall and just letting everything stick.”

Recorded at Chale Abbey Studios, Isle Of Wight, across the summer with the band’s long-term live engineer Sergio Maschetzko, it’s also an album that comes loaded with a deep-rooted conviction in the end result. “We were just so hyped the whole time,” says Hyde. “It was such a pleasure to make. I’ve kind of accepted that this might be the best thing that I’m ever part of for the rest of my life. And that’s fine.”

2xLP (ZEN278)
Double black 140g vinyl, housed in an artworked gatefold sleeve with black paper inner sleeves and 20 page lyric booklet and sticker.

2xLP (ZEN278X)
Limited Blue Edition
Double blue marbled 140g vinyl, negative effect artworked gatefold sleeve, white paper inner sleeves and 20 page lyric booklet and sticker.

4xLP (ZEN278BX)
Deluxe Boxset
4 disc 140g deluxe vinyl box set, black paper inner sleeves with 4 art prints and 22 page lyric booklet and sticker.