Band of Horses
albums
Matthew Brooke - Vocals, Guitar
Chris Early - Bass
Sera Cahoone & Tim Meining - Drums
Best Album: Everything All the Time
Biggest Influences: My Morning Jacket, Neil Young, Modest Mouse
2006
Everything All the Time - 6/8
At first, many people might think oh this is another generic "indie rock band" that is hyped up to high heaven and is
just not that good, just like "darn Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Wolf Parade were"! But you have to ask yourself
why all the negativity: what is wrong with a band being hyped and promoted as great when they really are great?
That is what great new music is all about, and in all honesty without sites like Pitchfork Media and any other
web-review database, the world is a very unknowing place. Yes, you should not believe everything you have heard
about how people like the new Band of Horses album, you should listen to samples, maybe even download, and
decide for yourself if it is good. Anyway, despite what anyone might say, that is what I have done, and I have
decded that this debut album from the north-westerners in Band of Horses is a great debut. What makes it good
are great songs like "Funeral", "Wicked Gil", and "I Go to the Barn Because I Like the", that show great use of
atmosphere and melodies. Yes, the band is a product of the 00's (funny how the decade is getting its own sound
now isn't it?), with obvious influences like The Arcade Fire ("Funeral"), My Morning Jacket ("I Go to the Barn"), and
Smashing Pumpkins ("St. Augestine" sounds a lot like "Thirty-Three"). The reverb effect is used too often
prompting the My Morning Jacket comparison, and some songs like "Our Swords" and "Weed Party", while quite
good, could be longer and more expanded. That said, most of the album is enjoyable, only slipping up on a dull
opening song and one towards the end, "Monsters". Great music like this should be celebrated, and though the
band has not grown beyond its influences yet, there is so much promise in this debut of future greatness that it
doesn't really matter who they sound like. By the end, we are just glad the hype is deserved. - Trevor e.y.
1.the first song- 2
2.wicked gil- 4
3.our swords- 4
4.the funeral- 4
5.part one- 3
6.the great salt lake- 3
7.weed party- 4
8.i go to the barn because i like the- 3
9.monsters- 2
10.st. augestine- 3
2007
Cease to Begin - 3/8
I am glad that people don't feel the need to make hour long albums all the time. So far this band has made 2
very short albums, which is ok. But at 9 songs, it is still very noticeable that the band doesn't have many ideas to
throw around and it all gets boring pretty fast. I'd like to hear an album of acoustic ballads from these guys! Then
again there are a bunch of ballads on here, but songs like "No One's Gonna Love You", "Detlef Schrempf", and
"Marry Song" sound bland. Also, some songs such as "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands" and "Ode to LRC" simply have
too many ideas in them and by the end you just wanna turn it off. "Islands on the Coast" and "Is there a Ghost" reek
of 1980's nostalgia. A disappointment from a band with potential, maybe they were simply a "one album wonder". All
of these are signs of a band that does not know where it is going. If only the songs were as clever as some of these
song titles... - Trevor e.y.
1.is there a ghost- 2
2.ode to lrc- 2
3.no one's gonna love you- 1
4.detlef schrempf- 1
5.the general specific- 3
6.lamb on the lam- gf
7.islands on the coast- 2
8.marry song- 2
9.cigarettes, wedding bands- 1
10.window blues- 1
 |  |  |  |  |
