Ants From Up There is the second studio album by British art rock band Black Country, New Road. It was released on February 4th, 2022, just mere days before lead singer Isaac Wood announced his unexpected departure from the band. The majestic intimacy of this record is amplified by Wood’s exit and is definitely poised to be a cult classic. On this album, the 7 members sound holistic. Each instrument fills all the pockets of each song, adding to the album’s warm yet melancholic atmosphere. This is the band at their poppiest, shifting from the fabulously abrasive debut “For the First Time” (2021) and embracing a softer, familiar sound without ever abandoning their creative power or musical virtuosity that made them celebrated in the first place. Instrumental tracks like “Intro” and “Mark’s Theme” showcase the band’s ability to craft an emotional composition without any singing, especially the latter which was written for saxophonist Lewis Evans’ uncle, a big supporter of the band who passed from Covid. “Good Will Hunting” and “Chaos Space Marine” display a poppier Black Country, New Road with Wood exclaiming desperately joyous in both about a girl with “Billie Eilish style.” Although these songs are more conventional compared to the rest of the album, their rhythms alter constantly, making them as eccentric as their lyrical inspirations. Meanwhile, tracks like “Concorde” and “Haldern” pivot to vociferous endings, highlighted by the clever instrumentations of the piano, sax, and violin. Wood’s lyricism shines on “Bread Song” as he metaphorically compares failing intimacy to breadcrumbs in bed. Anthemic masterpiece, “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade” is a personal standout with its chorus-like outro. The end of the album segues from the beautifully anguished slow burning track “Snow Globes” to their magnum opus “Basketball Shoes.” The 12 and a half minute, multi parted masterpiece demonstrates the band full power, each member feverishly performing as if they would never play together again; which would be the case after Wood leaving. His final lines as the frontman of Black Country, New Road addresses a relationship, the band, and himself and sums it up with the commanding words: “All I’ve been forms the drone/We sing the rest/Oh, your generous loan to me/Your crippling interest.” It’s agonizing that the band won’t ever be the same without Wood but no matter what the now sextet do, this album will be forever cherished as a modern classic and a testament to what can be achieved in music through emotional fragility and musical brilliance. We will miss you, Isaac.