Ben Howard, Alexandra Palace

Since the runaway success of 2011's Mercury-nominated debut Every Kingdom, we've been waiting to see which way Ben Howard would go – another finger-picking pop-guitar flash-in-the-pan, or something more substantial? - and with the release of this year's I Forgot Where We Were, we seem to have a definitive answer.

It sometimes seems like penning a hook as catchy as that which opens 'The Wolves' - who's ooh-ooh-oohs you can't have failed to hear – might hold an artist back further down the line but, while its fair to say the latest album doesn't conjure any ear-worm refrains of that calibre, it has much more to recommend it, sounding like a howling Ray Lamontagne or James Vincent McMorrow.

The record's dark, soulful aesthetic is built upon an expansion of the Ben Howard sound, from the pared-back voice and guitar of his debut to a fuller, more effects-laden production style that embraces electric influences, and the results are excellent, in the haunting, echo-laden style of Volcano Choir or Bon Iver. Give a listen to the title track if you don't believe us, or the sombre opener 'Small Things', all shimmering electric shuffles and wailing, falling finger-picking, while that signature melancholic voice swells and fades amidst it all – it's the kind of sound to huddle close to on a cold winter's night.

So while Howard's star continues to rise, Londoners have a chance to catch him in the beautiful surrounds of Alexandra Palace. With two dates already sold out, make sure you move quick to grab one before they're gone...