black midi - Cavalcade

Pitchfork 80

Read Andy Cush’s review of the album.

The Guardian 0

(Rough Trade)
There’s a impressive maelstrom of moods on the Mercury nominees’ new album, building to a fantastical, absurdist whole

Experimental rock group Black Midi’s origin story involves meeting at the Brit School, being championed by the industry and then thrust along the faultline between hype and scepticism: their explosive 2019 debut Schlagenheim was praised and scrutinised for featuring the same aesthetics of noise, no wave and post-punk found in abundance among UK DIY acts. On their second album, they shift focus to their abilities, swapping jam sessions for a more deliberate, compositional approach. They slip prog and jazz into its sludgy sonics as they tell stories spanning despair, delirium and destruction through a fantastical and absurdist lens.