SOUND

There is little doubt that the London septet Black Country, New Road is the biggest sensation of the year: Their debut album For the First Time was released in February – leaving the music press gushing with praise and audiences appropriately enthusiastic. It’s been a while since a band has produced such inventive rock music. Their songs are rhythmically complicated and feature dry basslines, similar to crossover and post-rock of the nineties (think Shellac and Slint), then, suddenly, jubilant klezmer wind instruments or angry saxophones reminiscent of Archie Shepp’s Fire Music of the sixties. Singer Isaac Wood extemporizes with a world-weary baritone, very much in the manner of Scott Walker: These songs are big, difficult, self-indulgent, yet also profoundly touching.