Ben Howard - Every Kingdom.
When I first read that Q Magazine had rated Every Kingdom a sorry 2 stars, I was a little shocked. This is a guy that Radio 1 are hammering and seemingly half the population are enjoying right now.
My best mate told me that Q had got it wrong, and that I needed to have a listen to this piece of music. Thus, a bitter cold northern morning provided the backdrop for my first listen to this album. Needless to say, the developing melodies, crisp guitarwork and passionate vocals hooked me. The raw authenticity of Every Kingdom and its associations of nature really stood out. You have the songs with tender starts like Black Flies, but you wait till the continual addition of different instruments builds the song into full-bodied folk class.
My walk to uni consists of a small walk through a lovely green park and onto a road completely enveloped by trees so the natural life scent that wafts from Old Pine was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed The Wolves, primarily for it's intricacies.. the guitarwork.. the lyrics.. and catchy melody, but also because of its animalistic references. Lovely. You'll find them everywhere on this album.. if you listen to Black Flies, you'll hear some howling towards the end that once again reinforces the natural aspect of this music. I love it, it's very clever.
Every Kingdom has become a common choice for my journeys over the last week. 2 stars is a load of rubbish, this is an album of passion and talent. My friend picked up on the fact that the songs are constantly building and offer so much more than a plain acoustic artist. The band influence on this record make it sound whole and complete.
Interesting, like I mentioned when I reviewed ahab's gig at Band On The Wall last week, this is yet more folk music that is kindling so much love across the UK. Fans are falling over themselves to enjoy new artists like Ben Howard, and it's so pleasing to see this genre of music becoming more accessible to the mainstream - especially good because it's such a fantastic album, and refreshingly unique.
This is a fine first record from Ben Howard, and everybody who gets to enjoy his live gigs this year, do relish every moment - the best song on the album is the live version Empty Corridors. If you're a stickler for studio recording, Old Pine, The Wolves and Black Flies really stand out.
Listen on Spotify to Ben Howard - Every Kingdom
