Cavalcade (Black Midi album)

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Cavalcade
Black Midi - Cavalcade cover art.png
Studio album by
Black Midi
Released26 May 2021
RecordedJune – August 2020
Studio
Genre
Length42:19
LabelRough Trade
Producer
  • Black Midi
  • John "Spud" Murphy
  • Marta Salogni
Black Midi chronology
The Black Midi Anthology Vol. 1
(2020) 		Cavalcade
(2021)
Black Midi studio chronology
Schlagenheim
(2019) 		Cavalcade
(2021)
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 through Rough Trade Records digitally on 26 May 2021 and physically on 28 May. It was primarily recorded in the summer of 2020 with producer John "Spud" Murphy, with the exception of one track which was recorded beforehand with Marta Salogni. 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 to critical acclaim.

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] and math rock.[9][14] 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".[15]

Release[]

Black Midi announced the details for Cavalcade on 23 March 2021, revealing its track listing and release date.[16] 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.[15] 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.[17]

On 26 May 2021, Black Midi live streamed Cavalcade on their YouTube channel.[18] Though the band and Rough Trade announced a release for 28 May, the album was immediately released on Apple Music, Bandcamp,[19][20] and multiple other streaming platforms after the stream ended.[18][21]

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.[22][23]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[24]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3.5/5 stars[25]
Exclaim!9/10[8]
Gigwise9/10[26]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[10]
Loud and Quiet9/10[27]
NME4/5 stars[28]
Paste6.5/10[6]
Pitchfork8.0/10[11]
PopMatters7/10[29]
Slant Magazine3/5 stars[30]

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 80, based on 19 reviews.[24]

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."[26] 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."[29] 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."[25] 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."[30] 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".[31]

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[32]
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

Notes

Personnel[]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[33]

Charts[]

Chart performance for Cavalcade
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[34] 81
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 66
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[36] 144
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 74
Scottish Albums (OCC)[38] 18
UK Albums (OCC)[39] 60
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[40] 7
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[41] 2
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[42] 16

References[]

  1. ^ Eede, Christian (23 March 2021). "Black Midi Reveal Details Of Second Album, 'Cavalcade'". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  2. ^ https://thequietus.com/articles/29818-black-midi-cavalcade-interview
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b 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. ^ Jump up to: a b Kenneally, Cerys (23 March 2021). "black midi announce second album Cavalcade". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Schonfeld, Zach (May 26, 2021). "black midi Bring Avant-Prog to the Masses on Cavalcade | Paste Magazine". Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Amin, Tayyab (28 May 2021). "Black Midi: Cavalcade review – freakish parade of prog-jazz extremity". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Brasil, Sydney (May 25, 2021). "Black Midi Modernize Jazz Fusion on 'Cavalcade' | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c Sentz, Tim (28 May 2021). "Album Review: black midi - Cavalcade". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ferris, Robin (May 24, 2021). "Black Midi's weird and wonderful reign continues on Cavalcade | The Line of Best Fit". thelineofbestfit.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Cush, Andy (May 28, 2021). "black midi Cavalcade | Pitchfork". Retrieved May 28, 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. ^ Jump up to: a b "black midi Announce New Album 'Cavalcade'". Rough Trade Records. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  16. ^ Yoo, Noah (23 March 2021). "black midi Announce New Album Cavalcade, Share Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  17. ^ "black midi Cover Song Bonus Flexi Details". Rough Trade Records. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b 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.
  19. ^ "Cavalcade by black midi". Apple Music. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  20. ^ "Cavalcade, by black midi". black midi. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  21. ^ 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: t.co/D08JOkW9kW t.co/sRCre6dFZR" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/18/how-indie-acts-are-fighting-the-rise-of-streaming
  23. ^ https://bmblackmidi.com/goldenticket/
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b "Cavalcade by Black Midi Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b Thomas, Fred. "Cavalcade – Black Midi". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b Smith, Joe (May 24, 2021). "Album Review: black midi - Cavalcade | Gigwise". gigwise.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  27. ^ Wrigglesworth, Jessica (May 24, 2021). "Black Midi - Cavalcade - Album Review | Loud and Quiet". loudandquiet.com. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  28. ^ Richards, Will (May 26, 2021). "Black Midi – 'Cavalcade' review: sonic scientists continue to confound | NME". nme.com. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b Amen, John (May 21, 2021). "Black Midi: Cavalcade | PopMatters". popmatters.com. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b Lyons-Burt, Charles (May 24, 2021). "Black Midi 'Cavalcade' Review: A Disorienting Ode to Displeasure | Slant Magazine". slantmagazine.com. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  31. ^ https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2021/06/01/black-midi-cavalcade-rough-trade/
  32. ^ "Cavalcade | black midi". Bandcamp. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  33. ^ Cavalcade (Media notes). Black Midi. Rough Trade Records. 2021.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 7 June 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1631. Australian Recording Industry Association. 7 June 2021. p. 6.
  35. ^ "Ultratop.be – Black Midi – Cavalcade" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – Black Midi – Cavalcade" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  37. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Black Midi – Cavalcade" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  39. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  40. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  41. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  42. ^ "black midi Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
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