Any fan of reverb can at least appreciate Band of Horses. Anyone looking for harmonies anywhere close to those of the Beach Boys could get hooked. Few would be idiotic enough to make such a pompous claim about an up-and-coming group like Band of Horses, a project only three years in the making. A group of dudes from Seattle? A group who have barely scratched the mainstream surface? This moron masquerading as an album critic is out of his gourd.
I might be a complete idiot, but I don’t feel bad about it right now.
Just listen to “The General Specific.” What is there not to like about Ben Bridwell’s high, soaring vocals with a country-soaked twinge accompanied by the background hand claps and easy strum-along melodies? For a few moments, nothing else seems as important as everything transpiring in that one song. Though the melody is simple, the process applied to making that melody move as flawlessly as it does is very complex.
This more polished sound is the new direction Band of Horses has taken on its sophomore release Cease to Begin. Based on the diversity shown on this effort, it seems they could be successful at anything they wanted to try.
Things weren’t always as polished as they are on Cease to Begin. But it doesn’t matter. The Seattle trio came flying out of the gate on their debut Everything All the Time, released just last year. The sound on album number two is not as much of an improvement as it is a refinement.
Don’t worry if you liked Band of Horses’ first album. Bridwell’s somewhat trademark vocals (think of a nice balance between Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips and My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James) are still easy to recognize. His higher registers in “The First Song” and “Wicked Gil” are as prominent as they’ve ever been.
“Is There a Ghost” gets things started in anthemic fashion. There isn’t much to what he’s singing. “I could sleep/ I could sleep,” Bridwell croons. “When I lived alone/ Is there a ghost in my house?” The key is how much intensity his band builds over the course of the song. A simple finger-picked melody morphs into a strum-and-drum tour de force; there are layers of guitars, but not too much distortion.
That’s one of many strengths Band of Horses possesses: They can be loud without being obnoxious.
“Ode to LRC” harkens back to the sound the trio cultivated on its debut. More straightforward guitar, more reverb in Bridwell’s vocals, enough substance to keep things from being boring.
The band ventures into more ambient territory with “No One’s Gonna Love You” and “Detlef Schrempf.” Fans of instrumental groups such as Explosions in the Sky and The Mercury Program can trace similarities in the guitar effects used. Still, these two work well as mid-tempo ballads. There aren’t any cheesy lyrics or lazy arrangements. Every little detail is concise and carefully performed. The drums and cymbals have a soft, subdued sound. The guitar work is tasteful and simple. The reverb in Bridwell’s vocals remains heavy, but it works out in the wash.
“Lam on the Lam (In the City)” lasts less than a minute, fading away before even really getting started. The looping guitar riff has the potential to be good groundwork for an actual song, but it alone serves little purpose on the album.
The pace picks up considerably on “Islands on the Coast.” Creighton Barrett’s hi-hat work and understated fills help anchor the chorus sections while Bridwell effortlessly hits notes a lot of male vocalists could never dream of reaching.
Bridwell helped form the band in Seattle, but he calls South Carolina home, and his roots couldn’t be more evident on “Marry Song.” He works his country-soaked harmonies to perfection, and the Fender Rhodes accompaniment really makes this a gem.
The eerily short full-length album (it clocks in at less than 35 minutes) finishes with “Cigarettes, Wedding Bands” and “Window Blues,” the latter of which being a slow, almost jazzy closer doused with a thick layer of lap steel guitar and a banjo.
The group really takes advantage of the studio, using a variety of instruments and straying from the traditional guitar-bass-drum format.
The lyrics are also top drawer, as Bridwell subtly illustrates what appears to be sorrow with lines such as “No revelations in the water/ No tears into the booze,” and “Now baby gimme something to live for.” All in all, “Window Blues” works as a great closer to an already incredibly strong sophomore album.
Really, these guys have a lot to live for. They’ve made two fine albums in two years. But they seemed more focused on attention to detail this time. No song overstays its welcome, and there are very few weak moments. The group has not only rebounded quickly on Cease to Begin after losing core member Mat Brooke, but they’ve returned as a stronger, more cohesive unit than they were on Everything All the Time.
This effort is proof that they’re for real, and it’s certainly one of the strongest rock releases of the year.