Every Kingdom

Already mentioned in the same hushed, reverent tones as Bon Iver, Jose Gonzales and John Martyn. Building on a solid framework of nimbly plucked guitar strings and luscious backing vocals, Howard's soaring voice dishing out glorious choruses like they're going out of fashion. "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. for example, the lovely everything deals with the inevitability of renewal and change, while the slow-building and panoramic black flies is essentially a break-up song.