This is my analysis of Ben Howards first album cover.

1. BenHoward releasedthisalbuminthe UKon the 30th
of September2011. The frontcover artworkwas
designedbythe artistOwenTozer.EveryKingdomisthe firststudioalbumbythe British,indie-artistBen
Howard.His musicfallsunderthe genresof Indie/Folkandacoustic.Ibelievethe conceptof hisfrontcover
(artwork) wasto conveyhismessage of the albumandthe lyricsashisseendeepinthe oceanportrayshis
love forthe nature and howhisemotionsare drowninghimashislyricsare emotional andgripping.Also,
BenHowards hasa passionforsurfingandlivingfree thisisconveyedthroughhisartworkillustratinghislove
for the ocean. Also,we are presentedwiththe force of nature,the ocean.Thisconnectiontonature andthe
earthportrays the indie andfolkgenre,beingunique andone withnature.
This cover shows a hybrid between the artist and the ocean.
As Ben Howard is within the depths of the ocean (as a
figure). However, the artist is on the cover, but the front
cover is not focused on him, he is seen as a small figure
showing how nature is his main focus. Although this cover
uses a photograph, the artistic features and effects create a
painting effect. The composition is focussed on the sea
opposed to Ben Howard himself.
On the back cover the name of the songs,
‘Old Pine’ / ‘The Wolves’ and ‘Black Flies’ all
show genre conventions of indie as it’s about
nature, the earth and nature is the centre of
this genre. The connotations of pine: woods,
forests and wolves are animal and
mysterious. They attract the audience via
leaving mystery within the simplicity of the
back, the purity of the white background
relates to the genre how clearand pure this
music is, then contrasted with the deep and
black writing to make his song titles stand out
and show two sides, two different meanings.
The reception, the artist target audience
would receive this album cover (front and
back) in a positive way as they would love the
simplicity and ambiguity of the design and
the way that nature and the freedom of the
ocean is the main focus with the artist being
the figure showing how nature is more
important and it being his inspiration. Also,
the font on the back is black to show his
deeper meanings compared to the front it
white and open showing his feeling and
emotions are hidden and deeper.
The coloursusedin the covershowdeepermeaning.The lightercoloursshowhowatthe top(the end) brighter,the sun
shiningthrough,the lightthroughthe seaisa connotationof brightandclear future.Thisisa genre conventionasindie and
folkmusicisrelatedwithdeepanddarkmeaningswithintheirlyricsseenonthe darktonal coloursat the bottomof the
image (depths of the ocean) andanotherconnotationof the darknessof the waterisrepresentingthe unknownand
mysteriousplaces.The lightercolours(white glow) interpretedbeginningsandpurity. Throughthisdigipak,aspectsof the
theoryBarthes’enigmacode can be recognisedasitmeansmysteryandallowingambiguitytherefore the audience can
interpretthe coverindifferentways, asthe artist(the figure withthe ocean) createsenigmaandasense of mysteryasthe
audience istoperceive thisindifferent,as towhat he isdoing.Divingdeeperintothe depthsof the ocean,orconnotationof
hisemotionssurroundinghim.
The font, ben Howard is written in large and
white font this shows his importance and
value of the artist as he is a solo artist the
name is made to stand out and show he is
one within nature (the ocean) this is
important as he is making his name bold
within the music industry, attracting the
audience. Yet the use of the colour white
portrays his purity and clearemotions, how
he is open and free. Also, the colour white is
a reflection of his music genre (folk/acoustic)
as white is bright and high key like his music
bright and open, simplistic and wholesome,
in comparison to black associated with dark
and deeper meanings.