YMMV / Black Country, New Road

• Awesome Music: The band has managed to create an extremely strong body of work within a very short period of time. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every second of music they've recorded in a studio is worth listening to, and their live jams are well worth checking out as well.
  • Anytime they collaborate with black midi is bound to be gold. Their live Christmas show together is incredible, as is the cover set they performed together afterwards. Nothing quite like seeing Isaac Wood and Geordie Greep duetting "Born to Run".
• Creator Worship: They've quickly turned into one of the most acclaimed rock bands of the last few years, and their two albums have already almost acquired Sacred Cow status.
• Even Better Sequel: Ants from Up There, in a complete aversion of Sophomore Slump, has garnered even more acclaim than For the First Time, including an absolutely staggering average rating of 4.13 out of 5 on RateYourMusic within the first week of release. Critical reviews have treated the record similarly; Arcade Fire's Funeral has been a common reviewer comparison, although reviews have almost unanimously agreed that it's far from being a copycat.
• Friendly Fandoms: With black midi, to the point where it's almost one fanbase. The bands themselves are personal friends in real life and have collaborated on a number of occasions, so it makes sense.
• Memetic Mutation:
  • The line "The absolute pinnacle of British engineering", a memorable quote from "Sunglasses", is closely associated with the band, to the extent that it's often used to refer to the band themselves.
  • Labeling any picture of a bunch of well dressed boys and girls standing together as being a photo of the band.
• Most Wonderful Sound:
  • The female backing vocals on "Track X" are just glorious to hear.
  • The saxophone and piano duo that opens up "Haldern" can get the waterworks going pretty much immediately.
  • The moment the saxophone enters during the instrumental buildup in "Basketball Shoes".
• Narm: It took Isaac a little while to find his footing as a lyricist, leading to some pretty laughable lines in their early work, especially when he goes overboard with the pop culture references. The early live track "Algorithm" is a good example, with him talking about watching Kanye West and Ariana Grande videos on his phone in the same tone one might use to confess to a murder.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • "Science Fair" is easily the band's darkest song musically, with deranged, noisy guitar and a string section that saws in and out of the song at increasingly manic speeds until the whole thing builds to a fever pitch in the climax.
  • The unreleased song "Kendall Jenner" tells a macabre story about the narrator being kidnapped by the eponymous celebrity over a manic backing track reminiscent of Slint's "Nosferatu Man", ending with Jenner telling the narrator about how celebrity life has turned her into an Empty Shell before stabbing herself in the head with a knife.
• Periphery Demographic: It would be a stretch to call them an emo band, but Isaac's lyrical style has earned them a fair following from that community.
• Signature Song: "Sunglasses" and "Basketball Shoes" jockey for the title of the band's finest song.
• Squick:
  • The original lyrics of "Basketball Shoes" contain a rather frank and uncomfortable depiction of the narrator having a wet dream about Charli XCX.
  • These lines from "Turbines/Pigs."
  Broke the zip inside my stomach
  Blood dripping down onto the broom
• Tear Jerker: They've created quite a few.
  • "Haldern" is a stunningly beautiful track about the narrator begging somebody not to leave him, featuring an arrangement worthy of Sigur Rós or early Kayo Dot.
  • "Snow Globes", a nine-minute-long crescendo that builds up to a chorus that sounds simultaneously rapturous and despairing.
  • "Track X", with Isaac's wistful lyrics, the female choir, and almost Steve Reich-esque arrangement combining into a transcendental whole.