I Forget Where We Were

English folkie Ben Howard has several EPs and a 2011 album to his name, but this follow-up is his strongest statement yet. From the first discordant strains of "Small Things" to the meditative "All Is Now Harmed," Howard strikes a sure-footed balance between the lilting ballads we've come to expect from past releases (see the new album's "She Treats Me Well”) and more haunting dirges that carry the weight of remorse (check the title track). I Forget Where We Were delivers a darker Howard, one who embraces loneliness and disappointment instead of shying away from them. As mild as the music might often sound, this is an album that cuts deep.