Ants From Up There
by Black Country, New Road
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
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  1. The Observer (UK)
    Feb 7, 2022
    100
    To get the full effect, listen to the album from start to finish, over and over again. It’s a blast.
  2. The Line of Best Fit
    Feb 3, 2022
    100
    For now, what we do have is an incredible record from a band, mid-flight, delivering sweeping abstractions of Gen-Z anxiety that only this group, as a seven-piece led by Isaac Wood, could create.
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    Feb 3, 2022
    100
    This singular record will remain a stunning collection to be cherished for years to come, and a remarkable high on which to end Wood’s tenure at the front of the band. It’s a future cult classic.
  5. The Independent (UK)
    Feb 3, 2022
    100
    The sheer grace and ambition of Ants… will prove tough for 2022 to top. A huge leap forward, headfirst into the unknown.
  6. musicOMH.com
    Feb 1, 2022
    100
    Throughout Ants From Up There, they seem to revel in the creation of different atmospheres rather than the laying down of hooks or choruses.
  7. Glide Magazine
    Feb 7, 2022
    90
    Ants From Up Here is a thrilling listen, brimming with the confidence and electricity of a young band coming into their own on all fronts, pulling from the past but pushing it undeniably forward, and fully owning their ambition.
  8. The New York Times
    Feb 7, 2022
    90
    Throughout “Ants From Up Here,” and through the course of every song, Black Country, New Road tests and reinvents itself, creating music that sounds both intricately plotted and precarious.
  9. PopMatters
    Feb 3, 2022
    90
    The disregard for conventional structure and instrumentation, combined with the adroit, sincere lyrics, makes Ants From Up There one of the richest and most emotionally-honest albums released by a young British band for quite some time.
  10. Uncut
    Jan 31, 2022
    90
    Ants From Up There is often beautiful, but its not an album you can listen to casually. Its relentless emotional pummelling is quite an experience, a rollercoaster ride for the soul that is likely to leave you feeling distinctly and permanently rearranged. [Mar 2022, p.18]
  11. Clash Music
    Jan 31, 2022
    90
    Overall, the ensemble sound incredibly close to the freewheeling jams fans are accustomed to; in short, they meet the sky-high potential teased on their first record.
  12. Sputnikmusic
    Jan 31, 2022
    88
    This newfound willingness, even ability, to just be nakedly emotional and let the melodies lead is the best weapon this new Black Country, New Road have at their disposal. Isaac Wood, who once seemed right on the edge of slipping into complete post-ironic-irony with his spoken word drawl, sings the entire album in a delicate quaver which is a perfect fit for this new vulnerability.
  13. Beats Per Minute
    Feb 7, 2022
    87
    This overall reduction in the reliance on guitar riffs allows for greater flexibility of sound, and as such BCNR wring out more staggering peaks of emotion from Wood’s lovelorn words.
  14. Under The Radar
    Feb 3, 2022
    85
    It's hard to be anything but impressed with what a cohesive, intentioned work they’ve created as a result. Taken on their terms, this is easily one of the most richly rewarding projects of 2022 so far.
  15. Pitchfork
    Feb 8, 2022
    84
    Knowing how it all ends does nothing to detract from the joy Black Country, New Road have poured into Ants From Up There—not when they spend every second reminding us of why we let ourselves get swept up in these beautifully doomed fantasies to begin with.
  16. AllMusic
    Feb 4, 2022
    80
    The band seems to play as a single multi-armed unit, and yet Wood's tortured voice is at the very center of their palette. Black Country made a strong impression on their debut, but things become much more interesting with Ants from Up There.
  17. DIY Magazine
    Feb 3, 2022
    80
    It won’t be quite as divisive as its predecessor - not least because this iteration of Black Country, New Road has ceased to exist before it’s even been heard - but ‘Ants From Up There’ might yet win over those stifled by hype first time around.
  18. Mojo
    Jan 31, 2022
    80
    Ants... represents a substantial step forward for them. [Mar 2022, p.84]
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  19. The Skinny
    Jan 31, 2022
    80
    It's a fascinating second album from a band that feel genuinely unpredictable.
  20. Paste Magazine
    Feb 3, 2022
    78
    Ants From Up There feels like the work of a band figuring itself out. ... This is a record that sees Black Country, New Road reestablishing themselves.
  21. Exclaim
    Feb 2, 2022
    70
    Like many sophomore albums, Ants from Up There serves both as a clearing house for leftover ideas from the debut and a tentative next step in Black Country's evolution. Serving both purposes results in an album that doesn't necessarily have the same electrical charge as what came before and would benefit from a little trimming here and there. That said, the band is still inarguably one of the most exciting prospects in new music at the moment, and here, the highs are head and shoulders above the majority of their contemporaries.

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Album of 2022
27
#27 Most Discussed Album of 2022

User Reviews

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User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 250 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 220 out of 250
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 250
  3. Negative: 23 out of 250
  1. IkeaSecurity
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    It's difficult to describe how visceral this album is. Isaac isn't in the band any more, but his vocals and unique voice will always echo inIt's difficult to describe how visceral this album is. Isaac isn't in the band any more, but his vocals and unique voice will always echo in this album. This album radiates isolation through the lens of being stuck between the screen of a video game and "the kingdom of men", the feeling of a girl pulling a hair off your sweater and drowning in you, the feeling of helplessness against a deterministic god of weather shaking the snow globe that makes up your world. This is an album that makes every crumb of bread hold the weight of the world, and it is a once in a generation experience for an album. Take an hour out of your day to listen to this, maybe longer if you're prone to being destroyed emotionally.… Full Review »
  2. reoffender59
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    What is not to like? This album is an instant classic. This is going to be as influential to the indie music scene as Arcade Fire's FuneralWhat is not to like? This album is an instant classic. This is going to be as influential to the indie music scene as Arcade Fire's Funeral was in 2000s.… Full Review »
  3. RadioheadLuv17
    Feb 5, 2022
    10
    I give this a 10/10 not because I think Ants from Up Here is a perfect album, but because I can’t remember the last time I heard an indie rockI give this a 10/10 not because I think Ants from Up Here is a perfect album, but because I can’t remember the last time I heard an indie rock record and was this excited over it, or had the feeling that I had just heard a “classic”. The album opens with “Chaos Space Marine”, a zany and upbeat introduction to an album that is anything but. My first thought upon hearing it was that it’s sorta a mess, but its jammy lightness has grown on me with repeated listens and the crunchy halftime riff at the end uhhh (?) slaps (?).

    What follows is eight beautiful post rock inspired chamber pop epics, evocative of the best bits of Arcade Fire, Tindersticks and even Steve Reich. The lyrics are quirky and often funny without ever being precious, and at their best can be subtly devastating. Highlights include “Concorde”, “Bread Song”, “Good Will Hunting”, “Snow Globes” and the epic closer “Basketball Shoes”. Three of these songs bring me almost to tears, the other two make me insanely happy.    … Full Review »
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