Following on from their blockbuster second album Cavalcade, just released in May, black midi have decided not to keep their fans in long anticipation of new material by unexpectedly releasing a follow-up single titled “Cruising”.
On Cavalcade the band more strongly leaned on jazz with instrumentation (adding keys and sax) as well as by continuing with their trademark complicated yet groovy rhythms. “Cruising” certainly feels like it belongs to the Cavalcade era of black midi, however, it is also abundantly clear why it did not appear on the album. This single is pushing even heavier into the realm of jazz and with a relatively slow tempo and an atmospheric feel that evokes a mood similar to that on Coltrane’s My Favorite Things. The band seamlessly uses a multitude of instruments on this track, including a resonator, an accordion, a lapsteel, a flute and more.
“Cruising” is also reminiscent of the post-Schlagenheim single “Sweater”. That song similarly maintained some of the aspects of its precursor LP while also sounding like something that rightfully did not make the cut. Thinking back to it now, one can see how “Sweater” was both a parting with Schlagenheim while at the same time a teaser for what Cavalcade was going to sound like, so if this logic were to be extrapolated onto “Cruising”, then we may be looking at an even more jazzy and atmospheric potential third LP by the London experimentalists.
Listen to “Cruising” below or on your preferred streaming platform.
You can find black midi on Bandcamp, Facebook and Instagram, and they have these US tour dates ahead:
Fri. Sep. 10 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
Mon. Oct. 4 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall – SOLD OUT
Tue. Oct. 5 – Sonoma, CA @ Sebastiani Theatre
Thu. Oct. 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
Fri. Oct. 8 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah – SOLD OUT
Sat. Oct. 9 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s
Mon. Oct. 11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
Tue. Oct. 12 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
Thu. Oct. 14 – Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s – SOLD OUT
Fri. Oct. 15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit
Sat. Oct. 16 – Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s – SOLD OUT
Mon. Oct. 18 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair – SOLD OUT
Tue. Oct. 19 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall – SOLD OUT
Thu. Oct. 21 – Baltimore, MD @ Union Brewery
Sat. Oct. 23 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle Tavern – SOLD OUT
Tue. Oct. 26 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Wed. Oct. 27 – New Orleans, LA @ Republic
Fri. Oct. 29 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk (Levitation Festival)
Sat. Oct. 30 – Houston, TX @ The Secret Group
Tue. March 22 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
Fri. March 25 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
Sat. March 26 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Mon. March 28 – Montreal, QC @ Société des Art Technologiques
Tue. March 29 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Wed. March 30 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater
Sun. April 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Tue. April 5 – Washington, DC @ The Black Cat
Wed. April 6 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
Sat. April 9 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East
Mon. April 11 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
Tue. April 12 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
Wed. April 13 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Tue. April 19 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
