Review: Since they first broke through in 2018, Black Midi has delighted in confounding expectations, with each successive release showcasing a band in continual, high-speed evolution. Cavalcade, the London band's second full-length excursion, continues these trends, expanding on their avant-garde, experimental rock sound via a swathe of wildly imaginative tracks that variously mix, mangle and mutate elements of noise rock, jazz, sun-kissed samba-soul, lo-fi punk-funk, post-rock, neo-classical, Bert Jansch style instrumental folk and blissed-out downtempo waltzes. The results are frequently staggering, always entertaining and restlessly inventive. There's no doubt that it will end up winning more critical acclaim - and most likely a bagful of awards - at the end of 2021.
Review: The best thing since the Klaxons or Bloc Party have arrived. black midi! The student art rock band are bringing a new youthful energy and slight of malice back to the arena of post-indie inspired alternative guitar and synth music. They make this overtly known from the start with the supercharged opener that is "953", introducing an album that is said to have laid down eight of the record's nine tracks in just five days. Drums are fast and skittering, rhythms are dancey and guitars keep it Madchester jangley. "Speedway" (is that a wry Prodigy reference?) is among the album's highlights alongside the punk-funky "bmbmbm" and the short but trippy "Years Ago". With a 100 per cent backing by UK music institution Rough Trade: meet this generation's newest sensation.
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