Island Vinyl & CDs

Review: .The critical jury has certainly been out on Ben Howard's latest slice of soft electronic pop-dance-indie business, some slapping an Album of the Week label on it, others referring to it as "a little dull". Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the ear, and from where we're sitting Is It? certainly is a thing of exceptional beauty. Only boring people get bored, blah blah blah.
Indeed, if there was a major criticism here it would be the most 21st Century, mind-ruined-by-tidal-waves-of-wireless-information criticism imaginable. Howard clearly expects us to listen and listen good, with such delicate tracks easily at risk of slipping into the background. Turn it up, then, and feel the full, subtle power of what's here - 1980s hued sophisticated lushness, lo-fi downtempo curveballs, postmodern art pop. Ace.