ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Three years after his debut, Ben Howard has written one of 2014’s best albums.
It’s anyone’s guess as to exactly how he has done it, but London-based southpaw singer-songwriter Ben Howard has found himself the antidote to second album syndrome.
Perhaps it’s the three-year gap separating this album and his debut effort, Every Kingdom, leaving him just enough space to develop and grow as a performer. Maybe it’s got something to do with his Dylan-esque shift to the electric guitar after humble beginnings as an acoustic troubadour. Whatever the context, the most important factor of I Forget Where We Were is its execution. It’s a rarity in that, despite all but three tracks going over five minutes, it justifies its length and drawn-out progressions. Guitars shimmer, whisper and occasionally moan beneath stark confessions and achingly honest lyrics. It’s at once sombre, morose and desperate, yet laced with hope and a light shining distantly at the end. In other words, I Forget Where We Were is an immersing, breathtaking listening experience.
It’s not only the single best thing Howard has put his name to thus far, it’s one of the most formidable contenders for the title of the year’s best album, without regard for nationality or genre. A completely unexpected triumph.
4.5/5.
