Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

Seattle, WA's own Band of Horses are back with their eagerly anticipated new album, Infinite Arms. The follow up to 2007's Cease To Begin finds the indie rockers experimenting with a host of different sounds and begin to think outside of the box with an effort that will please new fans but might deter established fans in the process.

The album kicks off with "Factory", a pleasant, country-tinged tune that welcomes you in with the lead vocals of Ben Bridwell to provide a comfortable listen all the way through. "Compliments" is a more up tempo affair that features edgy electric guitar riffs heard faintly in the background, but still maintains Band of Horses distinct indie/country hybrid sound that fans have grown to love over the last few years. The disc's first single and my favorite track off the album, "Laredo" is a melodic, ethereal tune that features Ben's positively brimming and relaxing vocals that makes you feel like you're taking a road trip through the countryside. "On My Way Back Home" features a pure country inspired sound all the way through with acoustic guitars and a light drum pattern providing the backdrop for this piece here. The disc's title track provides a comfortable interlude for the disc's second half and sends out some positive vibes along the way.

The disc's second half starts out with "Dilly", an uptempo blast that provides some upbeat melodies to give the listener a variety of sounds to compliment each mood. "Older" is another country influenced song that features Ben's vocals soaring majestically throughout the song, and is a potent melodic punch that will leave you craving for more after the song ends. "For Annabelle" is an acoustic, introspective tune that is the perfect catalyst to begin to wrap up the album on a quiet scale, much like the way the album began.

The disc begins to conclude with "NW Apt.", an electric, melodic tune that presents Band of Horses in a totally different light that we're not used to seeing them in, but it works out pretty well here. "Neighbor" closes out the disc solely relying on the power of vocals to guide the song along and gives the listener the feeling that they're sitting out on the porch on a warm summers night with the fireflies buzzing and the stars twinkling in the night sky. Band of Horses have now finally solidified their line up after having a rotating set of bandmembers the last two albums and they've begun to appear in the public eye alot more visibly as they opened for Pearl Jam on their recent Spring tour. A prominent sign that Band of Horses are slowly moving more into the mainstream from which might draw some skepticism from established Band of Horses fans, but the band themselves realize that this is for the best and is a step in the right direction.

In conclusion, a solid and well churned out effort here from Band of Horses, who have slightly altered their sound from their previous work, but still maintain their strong, well to do musical ethos that has served them well in the past, and continues to provide good fortunes here.

                                                                                                                          Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Factory
2. Compliments
3. Laredo
4. Blue Beard
5. On My Way Back Home
6. Infinite Arms
7. Dilly
8. Evening Kitchen
9. Older
10. For Annabelle
11. NW Apt.
12. Neighbor