Collections from the Whiteout is the fourth studio album by British singer-songwriter Ben Howard, released on 26 March 2021.[3][4]
Collections from the Whiteout | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 26 March 2021 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Indie Rock, Folktronica[1] | |||
Length | 54:01 | |||
Label | Island | |||
Producer |
| |||
Ben Howard chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Collections from the Whiteout | ||||
|
Singles
editThe lead single from the album, "What a Day", premiered on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show on 26 January 2021.[2] A second single "Crowhurst's Meme" was released 2 February 2021.[5] The third and fourth singles, "Far Out" and "Follies Fixture" were released on 26 February 2021.[6] The fifth single, "Sorry Kid" premiered on Annie Mac’s show on 22 March 2021.[7]
Critical reception
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.2/10[8] |
Metacritic | 69/100[9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
The AU Review | [10] |
DIY | [11] |
The Independent | [12] |
The Line of Best Fit | 7/10[13] |
Mojo | [14] |
NME | [15] |
Pitchfork | 6.9/10[16] |
Uncut | 5/10[17] |
The album was met with positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100, the album was scored a 69, which indicates generally favourable reviews.[9] Ben Lynch of DIY Magazine gave the album 4 stars, calling the album "Melancholy, meticulous and achingly grand", elaborating that "His dialling down the traditional guitar/vocal folk and diving deeper into a range of electronics, whether the harsh distortion of ‘Sage That She Was Burning’ or the bright, tactile ‘Metaphysical Cantations’, is a primary deviation here. ‘Follies Fixture’, the opener and a highlight, expresses this newfound path from the onset, its entrancing swirl likely to divide fans while potentially turning a few new heads his way. Make no mistake though, Collections From The Whiteout remains in the truest sense a Ben Howard release."[18] The Independent's Roisin O'Connor and Rachel Brodsky say that "instead of a too-many-cooks situation, which this easily could’ve been, [producer Aaron Dessner] and Howard find cozy nooks for everyone. The singer’s reedy voice is the drawstring that ties it all together."[19] Hannah Jocelyn of Pitchfork gave the album 6.9 out of 10, saying that "Whiteout doesn’t always sound like a revelation, but it allows Howard to open up, letting in new lyrical and musical ideas that complement his own without overwhelming them."[20]
Other reviews were less positive. John Murphy of musicOMH.com gave the album 3 stars, explaining that "there’s certainly a lot to take in on Ben Howard’s fourth album – not all the ideas work in fairness, and there’s a few too many moments which feel like half-sketched ideas. Yet Dessner makes a decent foil for him and for those who have joined Howard on his career journey to date will be more than happy to continue travelling with him."[21] PopMatters' Brice Ezell gave the album 6 out of 10, saying that "if Whiteout is an imperfect album, it is one that also evinces Howard’s refusal to stay in a single musical lane."[22]
Commercial performance
editCollections from the Whiteout spent its first week of release at number one on the UK Albums Chart (with first-week sales of 15,621 copies, including 1,759 from sales-equivalent streams).[23] Unusually for a number one album, it recorded no other weeks in the chart.
Track listing
editNo. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Follies Fixture" | Ben Howard | 3:59 |
2. | "What a Day" |
| 5:15 |
3. | "Crowhurst's Meme" |
| 3:44 |
4. | "Finders Keepers" |
| 2:49 |
5. | "Far Out" |
| 4:18 |
6. | "Rookery" | Howard | 2:31 |
7. | "You Have Your Way" | Howard | 4:25 |
8. | "Sage That She Was Burning" |
| 4:17 |
9. | "Sorry Kid" |
| 4:59 |
10. | "Unfurling" |
| 3:40 |
11. | "Metaphysical Cantations" |
| 4:21 |
12. | "Make Arrangements" |
| 4:25 |
13. | "The Strange Last Flight of Richard Russell" |
| 4:23 |
14. | "Buzzard" | Howard | 0:55 |
Total length: | 54:01 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
15. | "Rumble Strip" | 3:00 |
16. | "London Portrait" | 2:29 |
Personnel
editCredits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
Musicians
|
Production
|
Charts
editChart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] | 14 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] | 78 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[26] | 9 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] | 19 |
Irish Albums (OCC)[28] | 17 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[29] | 1 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] | 81 |
UK Albums (OCC)[31] | 1 |
References
edit- ^ "Collections from the Whiteout by Ben Howard". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ a b Skinner, Tom (26 January 2021). "Ben Howard shares new single 'What A Day' and announces fourth album". NME. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Ben Howard announces new album 'Collections From The Whiteout'". DIY. 27 February 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Collections From The Whiteout: Standard CD". Ben Howard.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Ben Howard Drops Nautical New Single 'Crowhurst's Meme'". Rolling Stone. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Ben Howard shares two new songs 'Far Out' and 'Follies Fixture'". DIY. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Ben Howard Shares Melodic New Single 'Sorry Kid'". 22 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Collections From The Whiteout by Ben Howard reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Collections from the Whiteout by Ben Howard". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Marshall, Dylan (25 March 2021). "Album of the Week: Ben Howard's Collections From the Whiteout is a surprising return to form". The AU Review. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Lynch, Ben (25 March 2021). "Ben Howard - Collections From The Whiteout". DIY Magazine. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Brodsky, Rachel (25 March 2021). "Ben Howard – Collections from the Whiteout". The Independent. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Milross, Hayley (24 March 2021). "Ben Howard's fourth album Collections From The Whiteout is a reinvention powered by slick production". Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Doherty, Niall. "Devon singer-songwriter mesmerises with quiet complexity". Mojo (April 2021 ed.). p. 81.
- ^ Kemp, Ella (25 March 2021). "Ben Howard – 'Collections From the Whiteout' review: too many ideas, if anything". NME. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ Jocelyn, Hannah. "Ben Howard – 'Collections From the Whiteout'". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ Price, Andrew. "A disorienting stew of experimental folk yields meagre sustenance". Uncut (April 2021 ed.). p. 30.
- ^ "Ben Howard - Collections From The Whiteout". DIY. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Album reviews: Ben Howard and serpentwithfeet". The Independent. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Ben Howard: Collections From the Whiteout". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ Murphy, John (26 March 2021). "Ben Howard - Collections From The Whiteout | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Ben Howard: Collections from the Whiteout | Album Review". PopMatters. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Island's Louis Bloom on Ben Howard's 'truly exceptional' No.1 album campaign". Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Ben Howard – Collections from the Whiteout" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Ben Howard – Collections from the Whiteout" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ben Howard – Collections from the Whiteout" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Ben Howard – Collections from the Whiteout" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Ben Howard – Collections from the Whiteout". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2021.