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Fifteen years on, although the years have passed, the feelings behind the album still hit hard. ‘Every Kingdom’ was an album about growing without quite knowing what growing up meant; one full of heartfelt and relatable themes of freedom, uncertainty, loneliness and relationships.
Instead of disappearing with the flow of time, those exact themes now sound different with age. With the album being released when Howard was 24, the person listening in 2011 may have related to the lyrics centred around leaving home, falling in love and figuring out who you are. Now, in 2026, the same songs offer something more complicated – something that reflects on what happens when that uncertainty from earlier years does not necessarily go away, but changes shape.
One of the album’s strongest themes surrounds the uncertainty that comes with growing up. Throughout his discography, and particularly on this album, there is a repetition of leaving places and people behind while trying to figure out where he’s going. Several songs capture this perfectly: ‘The Wolves’ holds a sense of urgency and push towards change, ‘Old Pine’ looks back on youth and memories whilst recognising that time is continuously moving, and ‘The Fear’ (albeit more vulnerable) is about anxiety and feeling overwhelmed about where life is taking you. All of those feelings still resonate 15 years later, as getting older does not bring the certainty that is often expected.
Furthermore, that uncertainty comes with a tension of desiring freedom and wanting to belong. The album often sounds like that deciding moment of whether you should stay or leave. ‘Keep Your Head Up’ sits with this idea weaved into its lyrics. Its message feels encouraging on the surface, but the song carries an awareness that the ability to keep moving can be a struggle. After all this time, that tension has perhaps become easier to recognise. Choices that offer stability may also appear restrictive, while the choice of freedom could come with that uncertainty. Howard manages to present both options in tandem, but never highlights either as the simpler answer. This is because he decides to underline the harsh reality that every direction involves having to give something up.
Nature is a huge part of this album’s identity. Mentions of the sea, woods, and weather throughout Howard's songwriting provides an alternative to the pressures of ordinary life. When the album was released, this fitted naturally within the revival of acoustic and folk music. Now, those images carry the desire to disappear somewhere serene when the world gets too loud. Distance can give you a new perspective, and sometimes escaping is how you can work out what it is you actually want.
That is what makes ‘Every Kingdom’ worth returning to 15 years later. The album belongs unmistakably to the early 2010s, but the questions it asks never belonged to one specific time.
Lily Howard
Image: ‘Every Kingdom’ Album Cover
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