UK's Ben Howard CD Every Kingdom #7

Breakout Singles: Keep Your Head Up, Wolves

The 24-year-old singer/songwriter Ben Howard, may look like a blond British surfer à la Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz, but his warm, wonderfully smoky voice is reminiscent of the great Ray LaMontagne and his extraordinary rhythmic guitar invokes José González. See for yourself: Every Kingdom was released on October 3, 2011 and debuted at #7 on the UK album chart.

Ben Howard's Musical Influences & Friends

Howard doesn't come from Hawaii or California, but from a small town called Totnes in the county of Devon, southern England. Through his mother he came into contact with music of John Martyn, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones and Simon & Garfunkel. Howard had intended to be a journalist, but one semester before finishing his studies, he quit and decided to pursue music.

On his Myspace blog he says, " I've been really fortunate to support some artists I really admire… I went to Europe with Xavier Rudd back in December 08, shared a stage with Brett Dennen this spring, and have been playing a few dates around Europe with Fink this summer."

Ben Howard's Every Kingdom

After these appearances in the UK, he signed a contract with Island Records who released his album

Every Kingdom is a folk album ripe with the fresh charm of a young man drinking deeply of both the melancholy and joy of life. His relaxed looseness and infectious enthusiasm is palpable on his three best songs: "Wolves," "Only Love", and "Keep your head up."

Music Reviews of Every Kingdom

Ally Carnwath in The Observer said, "The success of ...Newton Faulkner has created an inviting niche for beach-bum strummers. Ben Howard, 24, is more earnest and a touch artier than most. His acoustic style recalls Faulkner but his preoccupations are anxiety and faltering relationships, and his wistful croon is closer to Devendra Banhart ... highlights "Black Flies" and "Promise" are nice enough studies in soft-focus angst."

Nick Levine of the BBC said, "his musical tools are nimbly-plucked guitar strings, near-choral backing harmonies, percussion that feels pastoral rather than processed, the evocative tones of India Bourne's cello...Radio-friendly it may be, but there's nothing fey about Howard's folk: his up-tempo numbers have the muscular momentum of a galloping stallion, while his more subdued songs are underpinned by sinewy rhythms and a certain weightiness of theme."

Chris Jones in Line of Best Fit says,"This is a largely enjoyable and inventive first album from a promising musician with strength and eloquence of expression. The more summery sound does not preclude a sense of anguish but the wintry world-weariness that starts to set in is also kept in check."

Ben Howard on Tour

In Britain and Europe, Ben Howard is growing in popularity. In March, Howard's first North American appearances in the United States and Canada will unite him with The Staves, Nathaniel Rateliff and Bears Den.

He will be playing South by Southwest in March and Toronto and Montreal in early April so check him out and decide whether the folk-pop label works for you and if the beachy tunes of summer are worth a listen all year round.