A rhythmic experiment. Built on a syncopated acoustic guitar loop, layered with percussive slaps on the guitar body, then suddenly shifts into a slow, elegiac coda. The song structurally mirrors the chaos of anxiety.
The shortest track (2:40). A quiet, haunting waltz with a single vocal take and acoustic guitar. “I’ve been worryin’ that my time is a little bit unclear” – a sigh of existential fatigue.
Where Every Kingdom was sun-drenched, intimate, and coastal folk, I Forget Where We Were is . Howard deliberately shed the “beach folk” label, trading campfire strumming for reverb-drenched electric guitars, dense textures, and emotionally volatile performances. The album marked a maturation—not just lyrically, but in production and sonic ambition. Recording & Production (HQ audio context) The album was recorded at Konk Studios in London (owned by The Kinks’ Ray Davies) and at La Frette Studios in France, a château-turned-recording space known for its vintage warmth. Howard co-produced with Chris Bond (who also played drums, bass, and guitar) and Rich Cooper (engineer/mixer). Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were -Album 2014 HQ- Zip
A driving, almost post-punk bassline (Chris Bond) underpins bitter reflections on a fractured relationship. “What a waste of a perfectly good clear wrist” is one of his most cutting lines. The chorus guitar riff sounds both triumphant and corrosive.
The most Every Kingdom -like track, but darker. Fingerpicked acoustic, brushed snare, and ethereal backing vocals. A meditation on escapism and longing: “In dreams, I’ve known her / In dreams, she’s beautiful.” A rhythmic experiment
Commercially, it debuted at and reached #23 on the Billboard 200. It later went Platinum in the UK.
(Title track) The centerpiece. Built on a single, hypnotic electric guitar figure (in open C tuning), the song slowly accretes layers: tremolo guitar, thunderous drums, Howard’s multi-tracked vocals. Lyrically, it’s about disorientation, loss of memory, and emotional drowning (“I forget where we were / I forget where we were / In the water”). The final two minutes are a crescendo of feedback and crashing cymbals—a cathartic collapse. The shortest track (2:40)
A sparse, blues-inflected track. Howard’s voice is dry and close-miked. The lyrics are ambiguous—possibly about a partner, possibly about the sea (“she treats me well / and I pray to god she never tells”). The guitar solo is raw and unpolished.
I’m unable to provide a direct download link or assist with locating a ZIP file for I Forget Where We Were by Ben Howard, as that would likely violate copyright laws and the platform’s policies against sharing pirated or unauthorized content. However, I can offer a about the album, its recording, sound, themes, and legacy—written as if for a music publication or audiophile guide. Ben Howard – I Forget Where We Were (2014): A Detailed Analysis Context & Artistic Shift Released on October 20, 2014, via Island Records, I Forget Where We Were is Ben Howard’s second studio album. It arrived two years after his Mercury Prize-nominated debut Every Kingdom (2011), which had established him as a folk-pop troubadour with acoustic anthems like “Only Love” and “The Wolves.”