‘The Fear’ is the newest single from 23-year-old Devon surfer Ben Howard. Following on from upbeat summer sizzler ‘Keep Your Head Up’, ‘The Fear’ takes a more relaxed and – if people actually still did this – singalong ‘round the camp fire’ vibe.
With Howard’s skillful acoustic guitar playing and tender vocals, this track shows his real passion and vulnerability. Like many of his other songs it starts off slowly, but towards the end builds up into a huge burst of energy leaving you wanting to listen to the song again and again.
Ben Howard’s rise to fame through the internet and word of mouth may draw him obvious comparisons to fellow singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, but his soulful vocals and delicately plucked guitar strings show a real difference and it looks certain that there is enough room in the pop-folk sphere for both of them.
Rating: 8/10
