Henry Howard & The Six Strings – miscellaneous (2026)
On his second album, miscellaneous, Henry Howard & The Six Strings shows why he’s not just a gentle folk singer. Over ten tracks, the Duluth, Minnesota transplant via Pensacola, Florida, expands his songwriting to explore discomfort, events bigger than himself, and simple joys.
On the album’s opener, ‘Whole Lotta Thieves’, he lets his gentile sound and an adventurous traditional folk melody take us into the humiliating feel of adulting being made near impossible by the powers that be. But Howard maintains his self-respect, which expands his worldview. There’s humour and wit which add more layers when, in the end, Howard sings after his savings have been claimed: “I’ve learned what quarters are for/ scratching tickets until I’m millionaire bound”. A person’s selfhood begins to etch out.
The second track, ‘Carleigh’, is an ode to the singer’s sister. Over slow and endearing chords that feel like the quiet of an empty house, Howard connects his spirit to his sibling through personal items she’s left him and memories he’s nearly forgotten. The song also explores isolation: “The plants grow so long and so green/ they filter the air of which I recall/ when we were neighbours/ when you lived down the hall”. A melancholic harmonica at the end unleashes the feeling of pride, underscored by remorse, of re-orienting oneself in your values after confronting your life choices that created a void.
‘White Sheets’ is a tale of a bad romance inspired by possible infidelity. Howard’s guitar playing starts steadily, takes pauses, lingers, and goes into a tragic arrangement, creating emotional insecurity. On this track, he sketches himself as vulnerable and not entirely in control. His anger is clear in how he emotes, but Howard keeps the song gentle, sensual even, impressively crafting a relatable situation.
Throughout, Henry Howard & The Six Strings is often caught between not being in control and acting with agency, which gives his songs dimension. On the contemplative ‘The Fire and the Smoke’, he sings, “So call me a crier/ from these times that awoke”, as he ponders the wildfires in Northern Minnesota last year, and their impact on nature and people.
As the album progresses, songs like ‘Overgrown’, ‘Long Leaf Pine’ or the up-tempo ‘Mr Summertime’ meander; also on these songs, his vocals remain stylised rather than emotive. Howard’s brand of folk is best when emotions burst through and make us feel. On one of the last songs, ‘Oblivion’, a smooth, melancholic tune, he is stuck contemplating the end of things, and maybe the end of himself, but instead of figuring out why, he would like to just be “caught in the ebb and flow”. Sometimes it’s like that for people.
Henry Howard & The Six Strings allows himself to be seen in multidimensional ways, which makes miscellaneous a strong offering from this artist.
Find out more about Henry Howard & The Six Strings on his Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Spotify.
