Ben Howard – Diamonds

As with Howard’s album standout The Wolves, new single Diamonds possesses a grippingly intense ferality to it that in many respects leaves most of his contemporaries for dust. The broad oeuvre of the singer-songwriter is so over-populated these days that to find an artist like Howard, whose music feels so wind-swept, so earthy, so alive, is a real rarity. Diamonds is the kind of thing hewn from the flesh and blood of the hands and body, a laboured artefact of artisan-shaped quality. Rhythmically persistent and rough-hewn, Howard’s folk heart beats at its strongest here, setting him up as a songwriter of truly impressive consistency.

Diamonds is released on the 14^th May.