It’s not often you hear a track that feels like an act of confession. Black Country, New Road’s latest single ‘Concorde’, is exactly that; filled with so much vulnerability and melancholy that when frontman Isaac Wood states “I was breathless up on every mountain just to look at your light”, you can’t help but be caught up in the grief and joy of such a statement.
Directed by Maxim Kelly, ‘Concorde’s video embodies their chaotic yet coherent, almost dizzying aesthetic. Vintage-looking opening shots turn into a visually striking sci-fi inspired story. The themes seem modern yet dated, exploring ideas of alienation and hope that traverse the human experience. This is reflective of the way in which the group have such a dazzling array of influences, drawing on ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture, and music from across the decades to create a sonic tapestry that feels nostalgic yet refreshing.
As Kelly comments, “for a band who namecheck everyone from Scott Walker to Kanye West, and the pronounced mix of genres in their music, it felt right to take an analogous approach to the visuals. Throw as many references together as possible and see if we, too, could get it all to hold together as a piece.”
Concorde encapsulates the parallel tones of the album as established in the stripped back vulnerability of ‘Bread Song’, and almost satirical experimentation of ‘Chaos Space Marine’. Balancing moments of sensitivity with bursts of joy, ‘Concorde’ is a tender and enthralling demonstration of the promise ‘Ants From Up There’ seems to hold.