Double Brit-winner Ben Howard returns and makes his directorial debut with the dreamy video for "I Forget Where We Were," the title track to his brand new sweeping sophomore album. The 27-year-old English folkie and troubadour has several EPs and a 2011 album to his name, but this follow-up is his strongest statement yet, as he externalizes a kind of inner madness while his imagery remains suitably poetic.
It's anyone's guess as to exactly how he has done it, but London-based southpaw singer-songwriter has found himself the antidote to second album syndrome, which is a grand, serious affair and contemplate the pain of love, the restless spirit, and the disquieting sense of falling short. Howard strikes a sure-footed balance between the lilting ballads we've come to expect from past releases and more haunting dirges that carry the weight of remorse. "I Forget Where We Were" delivers a darker Howard, one who embraces loneliness and disappointment instead of shying away from them. As mild as the music might often sound, this is an album that cuts deep.
Howard's intricately picked acoustic is still in the mix, but he seems to have discovered the appeal of electric instrumentation and an effects box, conjuring metallic notes that cascade around each other, while his mournful voice is layered with shadow harmonies. "I Forget Where We Were" has an evocative feel, a string of songs that seem to form themselves rather than being transcribed from a songbook. The sensibility is darker, richer and stranger. It may lack the definition of his debut, but the Brit-winning artist's latest evokes something more ambiguously potent.
Moody, disaffected and gutsy, the title track, "I Forget Where We Were," sees Howard returning with a more electronic-guitar influenced set of songs. The track blends Howard's naturalistic references with the lyrics of a potentially doomed love song. It takes the listener on an expedition through the thoughts of Howard, bringing back that near personal relationship he can create with listeners. When listening, I find it so easy to pretend that Howard is communicating only with me, yet this is part of the personal bubble he builds with every listener. The video is Howard's directorial debut and follows a somber couple for a very serious day at the beach.
It's anyone's guess as to exactly how he has done it, but London-based southpaw singer-songwriter has found himself the antidote to second album syndrome, which is a grand, serious affair and contemplate the pain of love, the restless spirit, and the disquieting sense of falling short. Howard strikes a sure-footed balance between the lilting ballads we've come to expect from past releases and more haunting dirges that carry the weight of remorse. "I Forget Where We Were" delivers a darker Howard, one who embraces loneliness and disappointment instead of shying away from them. As mild as the music might often sound, this is an album that cuts deep.
Howard's intricately picked acoustic is still in the mix, but he seems to have discovered the appeal of electric instrumentation and an effects box, conjuring metallic notes that cascade around each other, while his mournful voice is layered with shadow harmonies. "I Forget Where We Were" has an evocative feel, a string of songs that seem to form themselves rather than being transcribed from a songbook. The sensibility is darker, richer and stranger. It may lack the definition of his debut, but the Brit-winning artist's latest evokes something more ambiguously potent.
Moody, disaffected and gutsy, the title track, "I Forget Where We Were," sees Howard returning with a more electronic-guitar influenced set of songs. The track blends Howard's naturalistic references with the lyrics of a potentially doomed love song. It takes the listener on an expedition through the thoughts of Howard, bringing back that near personal relationship he can create with listeners. When listening, I find it so easy to pretend that Howard is communicating only with me, yet this is part of the personal bubble he builds with every listener. The video is Howard's directorial debut and follows a somber couple for a very serious day at the beach.
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