Ben Heyworth’s new EP Creatures is like finding a dusty old diary in the attic that somehow still smells of cigarette smoke and cheap coffee — a warm, battered slice of nostalgia that feels oddly current at the same time. After a long hiatus, Heyworth isn’t coming back with fireworks and grandstanding. Instead, he strolls back onto the scene, acoustic guitar slung low, offering up stories about Manchester life with a wry smile and melodies that stick in your teeth like toffee.
Narrowboat kicks things off with a kind of lazy grace that immediately tells you you’re in safe hands. There’s a breeziness to it, a riverboat daydream where the sun’s doing that shimmery thing off the water and time doesn’t really matter. His voice, smooth enough to butter toast, is the glue that holds the song’s deceptively intricate layers together. It’s lovely stuff, though you do wish the production had a bit more bite — it’s all very polished, but could use a little more of that grimy Manchester edge he hints at in his lyrics. A bit more scuff on the shoes wouldn’t go amiss.
Image of Roads is where Heyworth really flexes his storytelling muscles. There’s something beautifully miserable about the way he paints his surroundings — the cracked pavements, the knowing glances between strangers — it’s all vivid without being self-indulgent. It’s the sort of song you imagine Damon Albarn would nod approvingly at while pretending he’s too cool to actually care. The harmonies are genuinely lush too.
By the time Creature Double Feature rolls around, Heyworth is fully in his bag, mixing folky twang with a sort of slacker-pop charm that feels entirely his own. It’s the most alive moment on the EP, the one where you can almost smell the cheap pints and damp stone of a northern pub gig. It’s great — easily the standout track — but again, you’re left wondering what might happen if he let a little more chaos into the room.
Overall, Creatures is a solid, thoughtful return from a musician who clearly knows exactly who he is. Heyworth doesn’t sound like he’s trying to be anything other than himself, which is a relief in a world full of desperate TikTok clones chasing viral crumbs. If he can allow a little more mess, a little more danger, to seep into these gorgeously crafted songs next time around, he could end up making something properly special. For now though, this is a welcome homecoming — gentle, tuneful, and just rough enough around the edges to keep you wanting more.
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