Sunglasses (Black Country, New Road song)

"Sunglasses" is a song by the English rock band Black Country, New Road, originally released on 26 July 2019 as their second single before being re-recorded for their 2021 debut album, For the First Time.

Black Country, New Road formed in 2018 following the disbandment of East Cambridgeshire-based band Nervous Conditions, after allegations of sexual assault were made against its frontman.^[1][2] Six of its former members reassembled, later recording their debut single, "Athen's, France", with producer Dan Carey; the track was released on 18 January 2019 through his label Speedy Wunderground.^[1][3] Following the debut's release, the group expanded to a seven-piece lineup with the addition of second guitarist Luke Mark in early 2019.^[4][5]

Acting on a recommendation from their manager, Dan McEvoy, the band worked with producer Andy Savours for their second single, "Sunglasses".^[6][a] The song was recorded between April and May 2019 at Savours's Modal Studios,^{[s 1][s 2]} located in the Battery Studios building in Willesden, London.^{[s 3][7]} In an interview with Mojo, bassist Tyler Hyde recalled Carey instructed the band to record "Sunglasses" in a single take.^[8]

The band later said that Savours's recording method, and the sound it produced on "Sunglasses", felt "much more appropriate" to the direction they wanted to pursue on their debut album. Savours recalled the band's collective sound, despite their large lineup, as "focused and compact". He additionally described "Sunglasses", and its nine-minute runtime, as having "no waste or excess".^[9]

"Sunglasses" is a nearly nine-minute song that has been described as post-punk^[10][11] and post-rock,^[12][13] with additional elements of noise rock^[14] and free jazz.^[15] The track's first two minutes establish a slow, minimal groove,^[16] built upon a foundation of gentle guitar, drums, and ambient noise. During this introductory section, a bassline enters the arrangement,^[17] and Isaac Wood's spoken word vocals enter as the musical tension gradually rises, with the addition of a gentle saxophone.^[16][17]

The arrangement intensifies through his increasingly strained delivery until the saxophone erupts into a shrieking skronk,^[16][17] driving the song into a chaotic crescendo.^[18]

For the band's 2021 debut album, For the First Time, "Sunglasses" was re-recorded and reworked.^[19][20] The album version also features several lyrical revisions, including a mention of "big pharma".^[21][22] Notably, the song's chorus replaces a lyric from the original single, "And fuck me like you mean it this time, Isaac" with "And burn what’s left of all the cards you kept".^[23]

In a January 2020 interview with Loud and Quiet, Wood described his songwriting about women from a character's perspective ending up as "quite regrettably one-dimensional".^[9]

"Sunglasses" was released digitally on 26 July 2019 through Speedy Wunderground, with a physical release following on 6 September through Blank Editions.^[10][24]

Adapted from the 2019 single's press release.^[25]

Black Country, New Road

• May Kershaw – keyboards
• Charlie Wayne – drums
• Luke Mark – guitar
• Isaac Wood – vocals, guitar
• Tyler Hyde – bass
• Lewis Evans – saxophone
• Georgia Ellery – violin

Technical

• Andy Savours – producer, engineer, mixer^{[s 4]}

Adapted from vinyl liner notes and XLR8R.^[26][27]

Black Country, New Road

• Isaac Wood – vocals, guitar
• Tyler Hyde – bass
• Lewis Evans – saxophone
• Georgia Ellery – violin
• May Kershaw – keyboards
• Charlie Wayne – drums
• Luke Mark – guitar

Technical

• Andy Savours – producer, engineer, mixer
• Joshua Rumble – assistance
• Guy Davie – mastering

In the text, these references are preceded by "s":