Words By Jessica Douglass, Photos by Charlotte Ward

Black Country, New Road by Charlotte Ward

Black Country, New Road is best known for their incredible instrumentation and hard-hitting lyricism. Those strengths are said to be at their strongest when Black Country, New Road performs live. Black Country, New Road’s performance at The Sylvee on June 27 met and exceeded all of my expectations.

The show started at 8 p.m. with an exciting set from Horsegirl, a Chicago–based Rock Band whose intimate stage presence worked well in conjunction with the close–knit vibe of Black Country, New Road.

From the moment they took the stage at the Sylvee and started playing, I was amazed. Black Country New Road’s performance at The Sylvee was a tour de force that altered my long–term perception of live music for the better.

The range of instruments used on stage was vast, and created an atmosphere unlike any other concert I’ve been to. It was amazing to see flute used to create intimacy in songs like “Two Horses”, violin to build complexity, saxophone on the song “Nancy Tries to Take the Night” and harpsichord as a part of “For the Cold Country”

Despite the difficulty posed in performing anything off of Black Country New Road’s complex discography, each member possesses the skill required to elevate each live performance to a high level far beyond most other live performances.

The compositional quality that Black Country, New Road creates songs with isn’t exclusive to the studio, and this really shines through on songs like “Mary,” whose vocal harmonies are truly incredible to witness in-person. The raw emotionality that has made them famous comes across as strong as ever, and made it clear to me that their incredible live album Live at Bush Hall wasn’t a one-off success.

Black Country, New Road @ The Sylvee

Words By Jessica Douglass, Photos by Charlotte Ward