Roddy Bow

Ben Howard released his new album on Friday, and it's definitely a must-listen project.

The new record, titled Collections From The Whiteout, finds the British exploring a wider range and experimenting much more than on his past material. The most significant example of this, of course, is his decision to open the door to outside collaborators, such as The National's Aaron Dessner, who produced the new album.

As we previously mentioned, the new album follows a period of relative silence from 33-year-old Howard, who followed a different path on this record. Whereas on previous albums, he has usually had a clear idea of the album from the outset, this time, he began with a mostly blank slate.

The origins go back two summers ago when Howard was driving through Portugal—as one does—while listening to the People collective, the collaborative project from Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and The National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner. With only a few "fragments" of ideas, Howard took a chance and contacted Aaron Dessner, and the two subsequently began working together in a "creative push and pull," crafting what would eventually become Howard's new record.

Hear the impeccable new album below.