Infinite Arms [CD]

I was introduced to the delights of Band of Horses by my Sister-in-Law, who seemed to think that my dressing in a Levi Denim shirt at the tender age of 52 made me some sort of Cowboy hippy, and therefore thought I would like the Band of Horses.
The Seattle area seems to have spawned a number of bands of the same sound including Fleet Foxes - and this is no suprise as the Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes shared the same producer - Phil Ek in the early days - although Band of Horses are a few years (and albums) ahead of Fleet Foxes.
It is early days yet - and I have listened a few times and find all the tracks pleasant and melodious. Folk rock is not really an apt name, they are more Indy West Coast and influences can be heard from the likes of the Byrds, Neil Young, Greatful Dead and the evergreen CSN&Y
If you like West Coast music and want to hear something modern, with excellent production and a clarity of sound that the likes of the late 60s west coast bands could only have dreamed of - then give this album a whirl.

The world constantly throws up dilemma's to address and in the case of Band of Horses its big one. You have made what is generally acknowledged to be one of the finest debut albums of recent years (Everything all the time) with huge songs like the Funeral and The Great Salt lake, you follow it with a decent second (Cease to begin) but it doesn't really advance the cause that far. So where do you go on your third album?

It appears that Ben Bridwell and co have decided that a less rock orientated approach and more lush pop harmonies are the way forward. In doing so they try to cover a wide vista of American music not least of all drawing heavily on fellow Seattle residents the Fleet Foxes but also the Beach Boys and Chicago. Let's start with a couple of problems. Listening to "Blue Beard" you will sense that you might have heard something very similar before. Indeed the huge frustration of recognising a melody but not being able to pin it down drove this reviewer to demented distraction until I read a review of "Infinite Arms" in HearYa who identified Wilson Phillip's "Hold on" as the source. "Infinite Arms" is gorgeous but it does sound uncannily like a song that the Peter Cetera era Chicago would have recorded, while "Older" is again a good song but sounds like Carl Wilson sings country. "For Annabelle" alternatively is a MOR fluffy yawner and so wet that halfway through you long for the band to break into a belting "Islands on the coast" type rocker and a couple of songs on this album fall into that category. There is nothing wrong with a game of spot the influences but one of the significant features of "Everything" was its ability to not just take on board a vast range of musical sources but also move them in new direction with a great confection of "My Morning Jacket" style southern fried arena rock combined with songs with a distinctive band character.

That's the downside but lets take a more glass half full approach for when "Infinite Arms" is good its very good. The opening three songs alone just about repay the admission fee on their own. The fabulous "Factory" has been drifting across the internet for weeks and it is one of the strongest songs the bands have written with a subtle falsetto by Ben Bridwell and a huge orchestrated melody that will have lighters held the air across European concerts halls in June. "Compliments" is a great bouncing pop song (which again does sound a bit familiar - any takers?) while "Laredo" is a true highlight a Neil Young style country rock anthem that that has so many hooks it could catch mackerel. "NW apt" is the one song on here that packs the biggest punch and probably could have sat on their debut while "Dilly" had toes tapping in this humble residence and the huge harmonies are great.

I fear that listeners looking for the Band of Horses that produced "Wicked Gil" or "Ode to Irc" may find this album somewhat of a disappointment. That said it also contains some of the strongest songs the band have composed and in many respects is a lovely album. It does not of course solve the dilemma highlighted above, since Band of Horses are a group who are finding themselves caught between the devil and the deep sea and they appear uncertain and tentative in terms of musical direction. In what is emerging as a vintage year with albums by bands as varied as the National, Beach House, Besnard Lakes and Titus Andronicus proving to be absolute corkers you sense that Band of Horses must dig deeper and into more hard edged sources on their next outing. That said this is an album that will especially resonate when the sun comes out from behind the clouds and to be fair Bridwell throughout shows huge and growing maturity as a vocalist. Your views please?

BAND OF HORSES, like all great bands, have a sound, their sound and in that respect this album does not disappoint. Truth is, it doesn't disappoint at all, it's got the usual feel good old fashioned rocknroll feel of their previous work and the same country/americana flavours but on this album the sound is more vocal. There are some beautiful Byrdsy/Teenage Fan Clubesque harmonies and all in all I feel this pushes the band further into the realm of greatness. Lovely stuff, lovely songs. The converted should not hesitate to buy, newcomers should order all 3 albums. Trez bien!