Things Are Great

Band of Horses

I've been dragging my feet on this new Band of Horses record, and that's simply because I don't have much to say about it really. I will admit, I'm not the biggest fan of indie-rock that has a slight touch of Americana, but the band's first few records were outliers. Their music was dynamic; tracks like The Funeral and Cigarettes, Wedding Bands felt explosive. The downtempo'd, minimal, and harmony rich Marry Song soundtracked many a late night drive during times where I needed to feel grounded. There was also a sense of adventure and grandeur in the double-bass approach to Our Swords and the epically building Neighbor. What I'm getting at is that I don't get that same sense of wonder from their music that I once did.

A good chunk of this record, especially the first half, just breezes by without much of an effect. There were a few moments I did like though. Aftermath opens with a great twinkling guitar riff that has a really cool stuttering delay effect. I also really liked the use of reverb in the second verse that culminates in an overwhelming rush leading into the chorus. I also liked elements of You Are Nice To Me, despite the monotonous vocal delivery and melody. At the very least, this track tries to do something different by setting up a drum loop of sorts, incorporating a gentle ukulele melody, and distant shots of distorted guitar that appear like lightning strikes in an open, tranquil field. Other than that though, nothing is really sticking with me all that much, and every time I throw it on with the hope that it will finally click, I catch myself really wanting to play something else instead.