black midi - Cavalcade

Rough Trade

black midi's highly anticipated second album - two years on from their debut - is finally upon us, and it's everything that the singles hyped it up to be - unequivocally technical, musically challenging and tinted with chaotic shades.

Their debut album 'Schlagenheim', released in 2019, proved to be a changing of the guard kind of moment. A flag buried along the timeline of the British music scene garnering in a new generation of talent and emphasis on artistic merit - not forgetting the tunes too, of course. 'Cavalcade' is their sophomore project and builds upon what the debut did in laying out a foundation for their vision to flow free of reign and constraints - the cover art does a fitting job in visualizing what the sound would look like on an optical level. Peculiar witticisms, and jarring twists and turns - nothing short of hectic - pave the way for an experience unlike any other. An upping in technicality of an already technical approach occurs on Cavalcade pushing indescribable feats of musicality to their absolute limits. Calmer tracks such as 'Diamond Stuff' and 'Marlene Dietrich' balance out the batshit crazy with more serene and somewhat delicate output - it shows another side to the band adorned with string arrangements and lush atmospheric qualities.

Constant additions to the sound are made throughout the records runtime. The bands restless necessity for change and progress in traversing their chaotic soundscapes results in a rapacious output in Cavalcade. An enthralling piece of work has been produced from one of the most captivating acts on the contemporary scene.

Prodigious levels of talent are on show here. It's life affirming to see a group of young individuals pushing things beyond the beyond. Incredible stuff.

Favourite Track: Dethroned