like a bird in a world with no trees

I adore Ben Howard. Adore is the only word appropriate to describe my love for his music. Ever since hearing Black Flies back in year 7 I’ve been hooked. His lyrics I find captivating and his musical style i find mesmerising, and his new album does NOT disappoint. Having resisted the pressure of record labels and fans in terms of timing, this album has been coming for a long time, however I agree the four year wait has been more than worth it.

The first single off the album to be released was Nica Libres at Dusk, and I honestly have never been so obsessed with anything so quickly. I’ve always listened to Ben when travelling, and this song seems to capture every memory of my travels and condense it into a chord progression. I can’t quite put it into words but there's just something about this song that takes me back to that 24 hour local bus ride through the Peruvian Andes. The video for the song was exactly what I was hoping for, it is a visual representation of how it makes me feel, right down to the colour palette the two merge so seamlessly, I am overwhelmed by my love for the whole thing.

Ben’s cover art always seems to be on point for the vibe of the album, his first album was chill with a camping by the beach feel, the second album a lot darker, and far more self reflective and this album seems natural yet slightly disquieting (in a good way).

Towing the line is my favourite song on the album, a grower for sure, but the lyricism is next level even for Ben Howard. The way it opens like the soundtrack of a silent film is beautiful – capturing the nostalgia of a tune by composer Yann Tiersen – then fades out in a strange distortion of the song’s sprawling, Spanish-influenced guitar.

The defeat is another top quality banger, it really shows how much his style has matured from fun cornish surfer music into something with real depth and substance.

Even the title for the album is gorgeous, it rolls off the tongue so pleasantly. If you can’t tell I’m in love with this album. Murmations rounds the album off perfectly- a return to stillness, concluding the abstract explorations of the album.