In the early 2010s UK indie scene, a variety of artists became popular in making very stylistically diverse music: Florence Welch, The xx and Mumford and Sons being but a few examples. Arguably none, however, went on to be quite so stylistically elusive or hard-to-pin-down as Devonian singer-guitarist Ben Howard.
16th June 2023 sees the release of Is It? set to be the fifth chapter, in a ten-year story of Howard reinventing himself every release; from the barn-stomping folk-pop of 2012’s Every Kingdom, to the glitchy and ambient textures of 2021’s Collections from the Whiteout. It’s been an exciting journey for most fans of Howard’s utterly unique approach to song writing but, of course, with artistic change comes inevitable controversy, and nostalgia for earlier songs. Nevertheless, this hasn’t much reduced Howard’s substantial following. Most of said following will likely welcome ‘Walking Backwards’, the second single released from Is It?, as the song somewhat recalls the joyful atmosphere and ‘seize-the-day’ outlook of his early music.
The lyrically simple but beautiful verses evoke moving away from existential, and maybe even destructive mindsets: “some days I’m walking backwards, truth be told, I don’t mind. You say I’m on the right track, truth be told I don’t mind.” Howard’s thrilling guitar playing, meanwhile, is as psychedelic and fragmented as ever, driving the song onwards to huge builds and crescendos.
Soon, some spacey 80s synths transition into a catchy chorus, and an out of the blue key change, that invites a few more listens to really get used to. Some listeners, at this point, might feel like they’re listening to two different songs melded together. Others might see the key change as infusing the chorus with some extra joy, as Howard sings contentedly, in a haunting falsetto: “Just like the moon always returning, to the cradle of the dawn. I don’t know why it feels so natural. And the whole world sings along.”
Whatever anyone thinks, it’s difficult to deny that ‘Walking Backwards’ is an exciting and challenging listen. The song makes you wonder if you’re really listening to the same artist that wrote sombre, stripped-down folk songs like ‘In Dreams.’ ‘Walking Backwards’ is an emotional and mature song, to be sure, but it is also catchy, danceable and energetic. Overall, it’s a solid addition to the discography of an imaginative and boundary-pushing voice in British indie. Who knows what the remainder of Is It? will sound like? Probably nothing like anybody expects.
Words by Caradoc Gayer
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