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Black Country, New Road.
The Palace Foreshore.
Thursday 26th of February.
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD brought their richly layered, collaborative sound to the Palace Foreshore, delivering a performance that felt both expansive and intimate despite the open-air setting. The band leaned heavily into material from their soul binding album “Forever Howlong” embracing their current era of shared vocals and intricate arrangements. Strings, woodwinds and acoustic textures intertwined beautifully, showcasing the ensemble’s precise musicianship and quiet confidence.
The outdoor foreshore created a relaxed, summery atmosphere, though it occasionally softened the impact of the band’s most delicate passages. BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD’s strength lies in dynamic shifts and emotional nuance; while the sound carried well overall, some of the hushed moments felt intimate yet expansive in the open space. The crowd remained attentive, with pockets near the front singing along and fully immersed, while others absorbed the set more quietly from the lawn.
Highlights included the soaring “Besties”, the tender “Nancy Tries To Take The Night,” and a striking cover of Big Star’s “The Ballad of El Goodo” before the night closed with “For a the Cold Country” and a playful tape playback of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For a Hero.” It was the perfect way to spend a sunny Thursday evening. A truly thoughtful, cohesive performance that reaffirmed BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD’s evolution into one of contemporary indie music’s most compelling live acts.
Words by Shelby Lane
