Cavalcade (Black Midi album)

Last updated

Cavalcade
Black Midi - Cavalcade cover art.png
Studio album by
Black Midi
Released28 May 2021
RecordedJune – August 2020
Studio
  • Hellfire (Montpelier Hill, Dublin)
  • Hoxa HQ (London)
  • Pony (London)
Genre
Length42:19
Label Rough Trade
Producer
Black Midi chronology
The Black Midi Anthology Vol. 1
(2020)		Cavalcade
(2021)		 Hellfire
(2022)
Singles from Cavalcade
  1. "John L"
    Released: 23 March 2021
  2. "Slow (Loud)"
    Released: 28 April 2021
  3. "Chondromalacia Patella"
    Released: 19 May 2021

Cavalcade is the second studio album by English rock band Black Midi. It was released on 28 May 2021, through Rough Trade Records. The album was primarily recorded in the summer of 2020 with producer John "Spud" Murphy, with the exception of the song "John L", which was recorded beforehand with Marta Salogni.

Contents

For Cavalcade, the band had a more premeditated approach to the writing and recording, as opposed to the improvisational approach taken for their debut studio album, Schlagenheim (2019). The opening track "John L" was released as a single in promotion of the album, followed by a louder mix of the fourth track "Slow", and finally "Chondromalacia Patella" before its release. The album received widespread acclaim, with critics complimenting the band's stylistic progression and composition.

Background and recording

Black Midi began writing music for a new album in late 2019, not long after the release of their debut studio album, Schlagenheim , in June of that year. The band chose to have a less improvisational approach to writing their second studio album, in contrast to Schlagenheim which was crafted around jam sessions. [1] Guitarist Geordie Greep said of the process, "People seemed to really like the debut album but after a while we all became pretty bored with it...So, it was like: this time let's make something that is actually good." [2] Prior to the recording sessions for the album, guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin took a break from the band, citing a need to focus on his mental health; he took part in the writing sessions for Cavalcade, however. Saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi and keyboardist Seth Evans, who were a part of Black Midi's recent touring lineup, were a part of the album recording sessions. [3]

The band first recorded "John L", the opening track, with Marta Salogni in London. [3] The song features the sound of a helicopter unintentionally captured by studio microphones as it flew overhead. [4] Afterward, they recorded the rest of the album with John "Spud" Murphy at Hellfire Studios on Montpelier Hill, County Dublin, during the summer of 2020. [5]

Composition

The music of Cavalcade has been primarily described as progressive rock, [6] [7] [8] [9] experimental rock, [10] [11] [12] [13] jazz fusion, [8] [9] math rock [9] [14] and avant-prog. [15] The album's lyrics revolve around depictions of "larger than life figures", with the figures depicted ranging from "a cult leader fallen on hard times and an ancient corpse found in a diamond mine to legendary cabaret singer Marlene Dietrich, strolling seductively past them". [16]

Release

Black Midi announced the details for Cavalcade on 23 March 2021, revealing its track listing and release date. [17] On the same day, they released the album's lead single, the opening track "John L". A music video was also released for "John L". The single was backed with the non-album track "Despair". A 12-inch release for the single was made available for pre-order on 23 March and was released on 9 April. [5] Cavalcade was released on 26 May 2021 through Rough Trade Records both digitally and physically, as a black vinyl, picture disc vinyl, CD, and cassette. [16] Each pre-ordered vinyl copy of the album from either an independent record store, Rough Trade Shops, Rough Trade Records' webstore, or Tower Records includes a flexi disc containing a cover version of a specific song, selected by fans, from a premade playlist; the Tower Records release includes a CD in place of a flexi disc. The cover version is unique for each location, with separate covers being recorded for United States and United Kingdom-based independent record stores. [18]

On 26 May 2021, Black Midi live streamed Cavalcade on their YouTube channel. [19] Though the band and Rough Trade announced a release for 28 May, the album was immediately released on Apple Music, Bandcamp, [20] [21] and multiple other streaming platforms after the stream ended. [19] [22]

In the UK and the US, one "golden ticket" offering a choice of prizes was hidden in one standard black vinyl LP copy of Cavalcade. For this reason, this format was disqualified from contributing to the album's chart placement in the UK. A week after its release, the album entered the UK albums chart at number 60. [23] [24]

Following Cavalcade's release, Black Midi released a five-track 12-inch vinyl EP of songs from the album performed live, called Live-Cade, and a CD of cover versions, called Cover-Cade. [25]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 81/100 [26]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [27]
Exclaim! 9/10 [8]
Gigwise 9/10 [28]
The Line of Best Fit 9/10 [10]
Loud and Quiet 9/10 [29]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [30]
Paste 6.5/10 [6]
Pitchfork 8.0/10 [11]
PopMatters 7/10 [31]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [32]

Cavalcade has been greeted with considerable acclaim from music reviewers. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Cavalcade received a score of 81, based on 22 reviews. [26]

In the review for Exclaim , Sydney Brasil declared "Cavalcade is an album of extremes, fluctuating between lounging wizardry and an angular, prog-rock nightmare. It's smart and well-calculated, expressing their range as musicians. Most importantly, it's the best path forward to keep speculators on their toes." [8] Gigwise's Joe Smith shared similar sentiments, calling the album "a perfectly-executed offering of the band's development since album one. Instead of replicating the sound of their debut, they’ve shifted and sculpted it into a whole new beast, rich with barrier breaking expressionism and glistening soundscapes." [28] Summarizing the review for The Line of Best Fit , Robin Ferris wrote that it was "a record that delights in its own darkness, and will not compromise any of its sickening, theatrical excess. It’s a triumph of the UK underground and a singular vision of a band completely detached from their listeners expectations." [10]

John Amen was more critical in the review for PopMatters ; "Throughout Cavalcade, Black Midi displays superlative skills, fierce chemistry, and avant-garde vision, offering spellbinding performances while also, perhaps inevitably, falling prey to sonic tautologies and circuitousness." [31] In the review for AllMusic, Fred Thomas called it "intentionally oversaturated and designed to knock listeners off balance and at its best, the album's overpowering rush of sounds and ideas communicates the excitement and a sense of unlimited possibilities." [27] Writing for Slant Magazine , Charles Lyons-Burt stated that "It’s an atmosphere-focused album that attempts to express the nastier side of being alive. The result is evocative but not necessarily satisfying." [32] God Is in the TV's Jonathan Chadwick said "some of the gnarly bumps and edges that made Schlagenheim so exhilarating appear to have been sanded down – but admittedly, this gives way to a lushness on Cavalcade that wasn’t present on its predecessor". [33]

Accolades

Cavalcade on year-end lists
PublicationListRankRef.
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021
23

Track listing

All tracks written by Black Midi (Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton, Morgan Simpson). [a] All tracks produced by Black Midi and John "Spud" Murphy, except "John L" produced by Marta Salogni.

Cavalcade track listing [35]
No.TitleLength
1."John L"5:13
2."Marlene Dietrich"2:53
3."Chondromalacia Patella"4:49
4."Slow"5:37
5."Diamond Stuff"6:20
6."Dethroned"5:02
7."Hogwash and Balderdash"2:32
8."Ascending Forth"9:53
Total length:42:19
Japanese edition (bonus tracks) [36]
No.TitleLength
9."Despair"3:34
10."Cruising"6:27
Total length:52:20

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [37]

Charts

Chart performance for Cavalcade
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [38] 81
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [39] 66
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [40] 144
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [41] 74
Scottish Albums (OCC) [42] 18
UK Albums (OCC) [43] 60
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [44] 7
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [45] 2
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [46] 16

Related Research Articles

<i>Lateralus</i> 2001 studio album by Tool

Lateralus is the third studio album by the American rock band Tool. It was released on May 15, 2001, through Volcano Entertainment. The album was recorded at Cello Studios in Hollywood and The Hook, Big Empty Space, and The Lodge, in North Hollywood, between October 2000 and January 2001. David Bottrill, who had produced the band's two previous releases Ænima and Salival, produced the album along with the band, and became the last Tool album produced by Bottrill to date. On August 23, 2005, Lateralus was released as a limited edition two-picture-disc vinyl LP in a holographic gatefold package.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galaxie 500</span> American rock band

Galaxie 500 was an American rock band that formed in 1987 and split up in 1991 after releasing three studio albums: Today (1988), On Fire (1989), and This Is Our Music (1990).

<i>Meltdown</i> (Ash album) 2004 studio album by Ash

Meltdown is the fourth studio album to be recorded by the Northern Irish rock band Ash. The album was released on 17 May 2004 through Infectious Records and Home Grown. Following the success of their third studio album Free All Angels (2001), Ash debuted several new songs while touring throughout 2003. By October that year, they had travelled to Los Angeles, California, to record a follow-up album, which was co-produced by Nick Raskulinecz and the band. Recording sessions were held at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys and at Chalice Studios, Hollywood. Meltdown, which is described as a hard rock album, drew comparisons to the work of The Smashing Pumpkins and critics said the guitar work resembles that of Black Sabbath and Metallica.

<i>Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions</i> 1969 studio album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions is the second of three experimental albums of avant-garde music by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in May 1969 on Zapple, a sub label of Apple. It was a successor to 1968's highly controversial Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, and was followed by the Wedding Album. The album peaked in the United States at number 174, 50 places lower than the previous album. The album, whose title is a play on words of the BBC Radio show Life with The Lyons, was recorded at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in London and live at Cambridge University, in November 1968 and March 1969, respectively. The Cambridge performance, to which Ono had been invited and to which she brought Lennon, was Lennon and Ono's second as a couple. A few of the album's tracks were previewed by the public, thanks to Aspen magazine. The album was remastered in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scritti Politti</span> British music group

Scritti Politti are a UK band formed in 1977 in Leeds, England by Welsh singer-songwriter Green Gartside, who is the sole remaining member of the original band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Bowness</span> British singer

Tim Bowness is an English singer and songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.

<i>You See Colours</i> 2006 studio album by Delays

You See Colours is the second studio album by British rock band Delays, released on 6 March 2006 through Rough Trade Records. The band released their debut studio album Faded Seaside Glamour in early 2004; by the year's end, they had composed 40 songs for its follow-up. Because the band's keyboardist Aaron Gilbert lost the only copies of their demos, lead singer Greg Gilbert decided to let the other members contribute to the writing. You See Colours was recorded at studios Real World, Rockfield, and Dustsucker Sound with producer Graham Sutton. Focusing on indie rock and pop songs, You See Colours spotlights Gilbert's vocals.

BOB were an indie pop band from North London, England, formed in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoke Fairies</span> British alternative rock band

Smoke Fairies are a British band hailing from Chichester.

<i>Angles</i> (The Strokes album) 2011 studio album by the Strokes

Angles is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Strokes. It was released on March 22, 2011, through RCA Records. It was the group's first album in over five years, following First Impressions of Earth (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John L</span> 2021 single by Black Midi

"John L" is a song by English rock band Black Midi, released in 2021 as the lead single from their second studio album, Cavalcade. The song describes the story of a powerful leader, the titular John L, who is eventually betrayed and killed by his followers. It was released on March 23, with the B-side Despair and a music video directed by Nina McNeely. A 12-inch release for the single was made available for pre-order on the same day and released on April 9. The song is one of few on Cavalcade to have writing credits for guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, written before his departure from the band but recorded after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleaford Mods</span> English electronic punk music duo

Sleaford Mods are an English post-punk music duo, formed in 2007 in Nottingham. The band features vocalist Jason Williamson and, since 2012, instrumentalist Andrew Fearn. They are known for their abrasive, minimalist musical style and embittered explorations of austerity-era Britain, culture, and working class life, delivered in Williamson's East Midlands accent. The duo have released several albums to critical praise.

Marta Salogni is an Italian record producer, mixer and recording engineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Midi</span> English rock band

Black Midi were an English rock band from London, formed in 2017. Their most recent line-up consisted of Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton and Morgan Simpson (drums). Between 2017 and 2020, the band also included guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin. Following his departure, the trio were frequently joined by Seth Evans and Kaidi Akinnibi (saxophone) both in the studio and during live performances. Their name is derived from the Japanese electronic music genre black MIDI, though their own music has no relation to it, instead incorporating styles such as math rock, progressive rock, post-punk, and avant-jazz.

Grimm Grimm is a solo project of London-based musician, recording artist and producer Koichi Yamanoha. He has released three solo albums, and six singles on independent labels since 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Country, New Road</span> English rock band

Black Country, New Road are an English rock band formed in Cambridge in 2018. The original founders of the band consisted of Tyler Hyde, Lewis Evans, Georgia Ellery, May Kershaw, Charlie Wayne and Isaac Wood ; they added their then-seventh member, guitarist Luke Mark, in 2019.

<i>A Way Forward</i> 2021 studio album by Nation of Language

A Way Forward is the second studio album by American synth-pop band, Nation of Language. The album was released on November 5, 2021.

<i>Hellfire</i> (Black Midi album) 2022 studio album by Black Midi

Hellfire is the third and final studio album by English rock band Black Midi, released on 15 July 2022 on Rough Trade Records. The band recorded the majority of the album over a thirteen-day period with producer Marta Salogni, who had previously worked with the band in recording the song "John L" from their second studio album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geordie Greep</span> English musician (born 1999)

Geordie Wade Greep is an English musician. From 2017 to 2024, he was the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock band Black Midi, often considered part of the emerging wave of British rock music known as the Windmill scene.

<i>This Could Be Texas</i> 2024 debut studio album by English Teacher

This Could Be Texas is the debut studio album by the British group English Teacher, released on 12 April 2024 through Island Records. It was produced by Marta Salogni. The album drew acclaim from critics. It won the 2024 Mercury Prize.

References

  1. ↑ Eede, Christian (23 March 2021). "Black Midi Reveal Details Of Second Album, 'Cavalcade'". The Quietus . Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | the Road to the Best Ever: Black Midi Interviewed".
  3. 1 2 Clarke, Patrick (23 March 2021). "Black Midi announce new album 'Cavalcade' with cult-inspired new video 'John L'". NME . Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Marta Salogni [@Marta_Salogni] (24 March 2021). "The earthquake sound at 0:54 seconds is actually a helicopter hovering above the studio and picked up by the microphone as we were recording the vocal take for John L" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. 1 2 Kenneally, Cerys (23 March 2021). "black midi announce second album Cavalcade". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  6. 1 2 Schonfeld, Zach (26 May 2021). "black midi Bring Avant-Prog to the Masses on Cavalcade | Paste Magazine" . Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Amin, Tayyab (28 May 2021). "Black Midi: Cavalcade review – freakish parade of prog-jazz extremity". The Guardian . Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Brasil, Sydney (25 May 2021). "Black Midi Modernize Jazz Fusion on 'Cavalcade' | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 Sentz, Tim (28 May 2021). "Album Review: black midi - Cavalcade". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 Ferris, Robin (24 May 2021). "Black Midi's weird and wonderful reign continues on Cavalcade | The Line of Best Fit". thelineofbestfit.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  11. 1 2 Cush, Andy (28 May 2021). "black midi Cavalcade | Pitchfork". Pitchfork . Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Reed, Ryan (28 May 2021). "Black Midi's Avant-Rock Grows Gloriously Weirder on 'Cavalcade'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  13. ↑ DeVille, Chris (26 May 2021). "Stream Black Midi's New Album Cavalcade". Stereogum . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Gray, Callum (27 May 2021). "Black Midi: Cavalcade – album review". Louder Than War . Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  15. ↑ "black midi Bring Avant-Prog to the Masses on Cavalcade". pastemagazine.com. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  16. 1 2 "black midi Announce New Album 'Cavalcade'". Rough Trade Records . 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  17. ↑ Yoo, Noah (23 March 2021). "black midi Announce New Album Cavalcade, Share Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork . Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  18. ↑ "black midi Cover Song Bonus Flexi Details". Rough Trade Records . 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  19. 1 2 black midi - Cavalcade Listening Party Extravaganza. black midi. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021– via YouTube.
  20. ↑ "Cavalcade by black midi". Apple Music. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  21. ↑ "Cavalcade, by black midi". black midi. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  22. ↑ RoughTradeRecs [@RoughTradeRecs] (26 May 2021). "black midi's new album 'Cavalcade' is out tonight and in select record shops tomorrow, Thursday 27th May. @bandcamp is now live with other platforms to follow later tonight. Listen / Order: https://t.co/D08JOkW9kW https://t.co/sRCre6dFZR" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021– via Twitter.
  23. ↑ "Golden tickets! Gary Numan videos! How indie acts are dominating the charts". TheGuardian.com . 18 June 2021.
  24. ↑ "Black Midi Golden Ticket".
  25. ↑ "Black Midi release new live album on Rough Trade, Live-Cade". 18 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  26. 1 2 "Cavalcade by Black Midi Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  27. 1 2 Thomas, Fred. Cavalcade – Black Midi at AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  28. 1 2 Smith, Joe (24 May 2021). "Album Review: black midi - Cavalcade | Gigwise". gigwise.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  29. ↑ Wrigglesworth, Jessica (24 May 2021). "Black Midi - Cavalcade - Album Review | Loud and Quiet". loudandquiet.com. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  30. ↑ Richards, Will (26 May 2021). "Black Midi – 'Cavalcade' review: sonic scientists continue to confound | NME". nme.com. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  31. 1 2 Amen, John (21 May 2021). "Black Midi: Cavalcade | PopMatters". popmatters.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  32. 1 2 Lyons-Burt, Charles (24 May 2021). "Black Midi 'Cavalcade' Review: A Disorienting Ode to Displeasure | Slant Magazine". slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  33. ↑ "Black Midi – Cavalcade (Rough Trade)". June 2021.
  34. ↑ Berman, Stuart (7 December 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork . Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  35. ↑ "Cavalcade | black midi". Bandcamp . Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  36. ↑ "BEATINK.COM Cavalcade". Beatink.com. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  37. ↑ Cavalcade (Media notes). Black Midi. Rough Trade Records. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 7 June 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1631. Australian Recording Industry Association. 7 June 2021. p. 6.
  39. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Black Midi – Cavalcade" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  40. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Black Midi – Cavalcade" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  41. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Black Midi – Cavalcade" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  42. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  43. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  44. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  45. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  46. ↑ "black midi Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.