(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.
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
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. (Title track) The centerpiece
Commercially, it debuted at and reached #23 on the Billboard 200. It later went Platinum in the UK. The final two minutes are a crescendo of