The Monster Killed the Melody

If you haven't listened to Ben Howard yet, go look him up. Seriously. I'll wait. 

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We on the same page? Good. 

Ben Howard is a surfer and self taught musician from Cornwall England. He's got a goofy accent and hair that is so salt burned that it sticks straight out from his head, and music that knocks the wind out of me.  

He also has a new 4 song EP out (Shameless plug)

The opening song, Esmerelda, dances in on a discordant guitar and from the first lyrics "Blinded, now I see I could not hold you" Ben's got me going. The mismatch of the frantic guitar and his long staggering lyrical phrases keeps you on edge as the song builds. It's a beautiful intro to an EP that seems to be in the wake of a hurricane, or at least a bad relationship. "I failed to be the light you found in love"

Oats in the Water follows but the tone doesn't get much lighter as he describes the break up like a storm. 

"You'll find loss

You'll fear what you found

When the weather comes down"

The electric guitar tones over the song, cutting through the cymbals in deep painful bursts. It's not an easy song to listen to but the release is well worth the emotional build up.

If Oats was the storm, the To Be Alone is the aftermath. Airy and haunting, the song takes nearly 2 minutes to really get going. That kind of build up tends to bug the Hell out of me but listening to it in sequence the slow start feels earned. 

The title track comes in last. It's by far the lightest song but that's not to say it's a happy one. Even the opening guitar comes off as resigned. The whole song vibrates with a painful disappointment. Ben has a powerful ability to translate subtle emotions into his vocal performance. Monica Heldal (this is the first I'm hearing of her but if she's in the Communion family it won't be the last) sings a beautiful bridge, and almost makes me forgive the two minutes of weird ambient sounds the Ben tacked on to the end of a track. Bad Ben. Don't do weird shit like that. It sounds pretentious. 

Oh never mind. I can't stay mad. Look at his hair.

It's like it's trying to escape from his head. Bless