Sam Howard, aka Halls, is melancholic electronica’s new poster boy. 

Howard emerged back in January with the cinematic Fragile EP for No Pain In Pop, which bolted sonorous vocals onto polite glitchwork.  He’s well primed to grab some of the James Blake dollar, although where his predecessor found gravitas in botched barbershop harmonies, Howard interpolates choral voices and devotional chant.

Ark is his first full-length transmission, and it’s an assured – if not always convincing – set. Kompakt’s roster of brittle magic-makers are a clear influence, with Howard’s choirboy vocals providing a route of entry for the indie kids. It’ll be too cloying for some, but, like Rudi Zygadlo’s recent Tragicomedies, it’s difficult not to admire the heavyweight ambition at play.

Ark is due on October 15.

Tracklisting:
1. I
2. White Chalk
3. I’m Not There
4. Roses For The Dead
5. Ark
6. Funeral
7. Shadow Of The Colossus
8. Arc
9. Reverie
10. Holy Communion
11. Winter Prayer