I Forget Where We Were

by Ben Howard

Overview

Compared to his contemporary British folk-rock brethren, Ben Howard isn't hidebound to conventional notions of what constitutes folk. He clutched his acoustic throughout his 2011 debut Every Kingdom but where Jake Bugg and Ed Sheeran can't go a moment without strumming, Howard indulges in deep aural pools throughout 2014's I Forget Where We Were. It's not simply that there are abundant electric guitars on the album but that the production by Chris Bond (who doubles as the singer/songwriter's drummer) is painterly, filled with shimmering, evocative echo and light flourishes that accentuate either the nimbleness or meditation of his melodies. I Forget Where We Were is quite clearly a record made in the wake of Radiohead (not to mention Jeff Buckley) -- there's a distinct emphasis on languid, moody introspection -- but Howard is indeed a singer/songwriter first and foremost, so the seemingly amorphous whorl of the production gathers focus upon his songs. Certainly, this means the record sacrifices immediacy for sly assurance, but it's nice to hear a singer/songwriter so confident in his work that he doesn't rely on wide-eyed shtick: Howard expects you to meet him on his own terms and provides just enough aural enticement to give him not just one listen but a second, which is when I Forget Where We Were really begins to sink in its hooks. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/18/2024
Label:	Universal Import
UPC:	0602465839968

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ben Howard   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Tambourine,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Chris Bond   Vocals (Background),Keyboards,Percussion,Double Bass,Synthesizer,Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Electric)
Mickey Smith   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background)
Kyle Keegan   Drums
Nathan Wason   Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Andrew Bond   Organ,Piano,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Nat Wason   Piano,Guitar,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Gillian Maguire   Viola
Nat Watson   Guitar
Richie Thomas   Keyboards
India Bourne   Cello,Synthesizer Bass,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Chris Elms   Mixing
Mickey Smith   Mixing,Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Chris Bond   Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Ben Howard   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Roddy Bow   Photography
Andy Magee   Engineer
Kyle Keegan   Composer
Timmy Ayers   Engineer
Nathan Wason   Composer
Andrew Bond   Arranger,Engineer
Nat Wason   Mixing,Producer
Robin Schmidt   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Nat Watson   Engineer
Owen Tozer   Design,Art Direction
Michael Lee Smith   Composer
John Cornfield   Engineer
Jonathan Gilmore   Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Mike Crossey   Mixing
Tim Ayres   Engineer