Black Midi announce new album Cavalcade, release first single John L

Black Midi have announced their second album, Cavalade. It’s the follow-up to their 2019 album Schlagenheim, which was released to critical acclaim.

Alongside the announcement of the new release, the band released the lead single John L. A statement about the song calls it “a jet black comedy about what happens to cult leaders when their followers turn on them.” The video was directed by choreographer Nina McNeely.

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Cavalcade will be released on 28 May via Rough Trade. The album’s tracklist traces the stories of various characters, from the aforementioned John L to Marlene Dietrich to a corpse found in a diamond mine. Guitarist Cameron Picton described this character-based concept: “When you’re listening, you can imagine all the characters form a sort of cavalcade. Each tells their story one by one and as each track ends they overtake you, replaced by the next in line.”

You can see the video for John L below, as well as the full tracklisting for Cavalcade.

1. John L
2. Marlene Dietrich
3. Chondromalcia Patella
4. Slow
5. Diamond Stuff
6. Dethroned
7. Hogwash and Balderdash
8. Ascending Forth

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