Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
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Free Music Notes for Cease to Begin
Free Music Review: Much improved sound for their second album
Hit: 4 Stars
The opening track of Band of Horses' new release, "Is There a Ghost," was one of the few tracks that I actively sought out after hearing it on the radio. I was immediately hooked on this band's sound, a sound that was familiar but entirely new.
Band of Horses was formed by Ben Bridwell and Mat Brooke in 2004 Seattle. They're currently signed to Sub Pop Records, a Seattle-based independent label which also manages The Shins, Iron & Wine, and The Postal Service. BoH started out opening for Iron & Wine, and on the cusp of their October 2007 release they started playing their own, packed, giant shows.
Their popularity is merited. Cease to Begin is a notable improvement upon their debut Everything All the Time: It is more straightforward, more refined, more likeable. Lead singer Bridwell's voice had me confused upon first listen, thinking I was hearing a new MMJ track, as his voice is sometimes identical to Jim James's (especially in the reverb-soaked stuff James is so well-known for), only less dark and more pop-friendly. They sound like an amalgamation of My Morning Jacket, The Shins, and a little Coldplay. Their myspace bio claimes that "Band of Horses' woodsy, dreamy songs ooze with amorphous tension, longing and hope," and this is very true.
"Is There a Ghost," beginning with slow anticipation, builds into some powerful stuff, while the next three are very beautiful indie-pop songs about loss that are ironically optimistic. I've gotten into the habit of listening only to the first four songs--which are undoubtedly the strongest--but the rest of the album is quite good. The twangier "The General Specific" and the more upbeat "Island on the Coast" would fit perfectly on a Shins album, while "Marry Song" suggests an attempt at singer-songwriter-ism (MMJ, I&W), but suffers from being too repetitive and not seemingly heartfelt. "Cigarettes Wedding Bands" is another rocker, which sports a catchy chorus, and the closer "Windows Blues" is another slow song, which works much better, since they don't play around with harmonies which allows Bridwell's voice to shine through. It's a quick listen, at only 35 minutes, but it's definitely repeat-friendly.
Free Music Review: Ceaseless to Impress
Hit: 5 Stars
Cease to Begin; Band of Horses' second album. It's truly an amazing album, and shows improvement over Everything All The Time. Don't get me wrong, Everything All The Time was a great album, with songs such as Wicked Gil, Our Swords, The Funeral, The Great Salt Lake, and St. Augustine. I enjoyed every song on that album.
However, in Cease to Begin, it seems BoH has really found their style, and did it right. With songs such as the astounding Islands on the Coast, No One's Gonna Love You, Detlef Schrempf, and Is There a Ghost?, you really want to go back and listen to them again. This album really isn't one you'd want just one song from, every single one is beautifully done, and if you want to listen to one, you'd enjoy the others equally.
Excellent album, 5/5 stars. Band of Horses has done a brilliant job, and I look forward to what they come up with next. But at the rate they're going, I can already say that I'll be one of the fist in line when their next album is released.
Free Music Review: Ghost in my House? Yes!
Hit: 4 Stars
I bought this CD after reading great reviews and descriptions for it in both Esquire and Blender magazines. I will give it two thumbs up.Free Music Review: awesome
Hit: 5 Stars
this is excellent. It plays non-stop in my car and I never grow tired of it.Free Music Review: Awesome!
Hit: 5 Stars
One of the best of 2007. May take a couple of trips through the playlist before your realize it, but this album will sneak up on you. Before you know it, it will take up permanent residence in your CD changer.
First four tracks are very strong....
Try it...you'll like it!!!