Los Angeles – Ben Howard fans, gather around: For those who feared the singer-songwriter couldn’t live up to his runaway 2011 debut, Every Kingdom, fear not. In fact, I Forget Where We Were, out this week on Republic in the U.S. and Island Records elsewhere, smashes through expectations. While Howard’s second album has all the wholehearted thoughts and slow builds that made us fall for him, he has mastered more profound and less sing-songy musings.
The 2013 Brit Awards’ Breakthrough Artist (and Best New Bands Featured Artist) keeps his recognizable uplifting plucks in the songs’ foundations, but in a darker hue with an electric feel. Above all, this is an undeniably well-rounded album with regard to instrumentals. The Chris Bond-produced album is at times scarce and hauntingly delicate while at other times edgy and aggressive. Opener “Small Things” welcomes that untried, slowed-down version of Howard. His lyrics are still simple and to the point, but where we’re used to hearing, “Keep your head up, keep your heart strong,” we’re slammed with the question, “Has the world gone mad or is it me?”
“End Of The Affair” must be talked about in relation to this album. The first single defines Howard’s new attitude to go beyond radio-friendly. “End Of The Affair” is almost eight minutes of layers of weathered vocals and entangled strings. The piece is depressed and reflective in regard to a world going grey where it was once technicolor in love: “Living without her/Living at all/ Seems to slow me down.” Along with this obvious shift, listeners should appreciate how much bravery it takes a once cliché-leaning artist to rip out his heart and hold it in the palms of his hands for the world to dissect.
All this experimentation is not without its downside. Songs like “She Treats Me Well” would otherwise fit comfortably into Howard’s easy sing-a-longs, but now it feels like he’s back peddling. Does Howard fear that his teen fans with collections of flower wreaths might abandon him? Perhaps. Thank goodness the mistakes can be so easily forgotten among unencumbered tracks like “Time Is Dancing.”
Small stumbles aside, Howard’s label as an indie-folk musician remains untouched — he just refuses to let his sound get stale. It took Howard three years to produce a sequel and his labor will not be forgotten. It is a story that should be held onto, played throughout the years. With so much imagination and complexity that is so technically pristine, we’re only left to feel a cascade of serenity with each listen.
Countless artists are trying to meld genres together, to extend electronics beyond EDM— and even more have discussed the pains of heartache and the meaning of existence. With that in mind, I Forget Where We Were is in no way groundbreaking, but it does demonstrate growth for Howard. Actually, based on the development between his first and second album, Howard is likely just starting to flex his musical muscle. What will come next? We’ll just have to wait until he lives his next chapter.
Ben Howard is currently on tour. Read our review of his triumphant NYC performance from 2012. To learn more about his new album and where he will perform, visit his Facebook page.
Ariela Kozin
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