Ben Howard’s once small yet loyal following has increased exponentially since the ‘must have’ album release of last year, Every Kingdom.
Haunting, beautiful, melancholic yet optimistic and stirring at the same time, Ben’s latest taster of something to come, Burgh Island – EP, follows in the same vein and continues the trend towards a very modern outlook on contemporary folk music.
Ben’s down-to-earth and relaxed vibe always hints at something deeper and audiences have warmed to his ability to bare his foibles and intricacies to the outside world. Burgh Island – EP is no exception to this, and true Ben Howard fans will feast on the ominous, looming atmosphere that pervades through this record.
Esmeralda – The first track will be a familiar to many of Ben Howard’s fans who have seen him live. A tribute to the dark and mysterious beauty of Burgh Island, Howard’s claim ‘Now I’m going places on my own’ cries out as a lonely voice against a dark and thundering musical backdrop. It’s a song which sets the tone and is a melodic representation of the beautiful cover art.
Oats in the Water – ‘I’ll take the long way round, I’ll find my own way down’ is the opening statement in this melodious tracks which is true heart-wrenching Ben Howard stuff…from the heart, the song can seem to represent Ben’s sense of adventure, freedom and the wildness represented in Burgh Island. ‘When the weather comes down, tear him down’. It is also a musical adventure – a screeching guitar solo bringing the storm to a deafening crescendo. A really memorable track.
To Be Alone – This seems an intensely private song. The haunting, sweeping, almost Lord of the Rings style intro building into a beautiful vocal where Ben claims ‘he needs nobody’. You never get the sense he is making this up. The sense of isolation on Burgh Island must be magical yet fiercely daunting at the same time.
Burgh Island – You can feel the wind rage at the beginning of this track – and the song feels almost like an experimental John Martyn – all reverb, echo and chorus yet with the trademark Ben Howard lyrics and teary-eyed sentiment. Beautiful chord changes and a stunning atmosphere compliment Monica Heldad’s featuring vocal.
Ben Howard has made something here which one senses has been in him a long time. Intensely personal and heartfelt, it must be nice for the still very young musician to reflect on ‘home’ and where he was brought up – looking upon the numerous achievements he has made in a very short space of time. After the success of America and a Mercury Nomination, could we be looking here at a folk musician returning musically to his roots?
- Jacob Little
