Cease to Begin
Band of Horses
After a year and a half, Band of Horses fans finally get what they have been waiting for: New music from this astoundingly developed band. True to their reputation, the band has produced Cease to Begin, a seamless addition to their short but very well-made discography.
Their first CD, Everything All the Time, shocked listeners when it appeared because of its mature instrumentals and obscure but powerful lyrics. The album's hit single "The Funeral" was a good representation of their new sound: Mellow, beautiful instrumentals and clean, melodic, dynamic vocals that inspire the listener to do what few do these days - sit back, relax and enjoy the music.
Cease to Begin accomplishes this same great feat. With more focus now on the guitar parts, the songs begin to take on two different sounds. Some of the songs, such as "Detlef Schrempf" and "The General Specific" get a slight folk-country flavor; this southern feel actually suits the mood of these songs, which almost tend to be lamentations. It is in the final track, "Window Blues," however, that the folk-country style is most powerful, causing a feeling of nostalgia to take hold as the listener gets lost in the music.
On the other hand, a second style is advanced by the band, and done so with as much mastery as always. In "Ode to LRC" and "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands" the band picks up the pace and get more aggressive with the sound. Faster tempos and harder guitar parts show the passionate side of lead singer Ben Bridwell as he belts out his lyrics with astonishing fervor.
These breaks from the slower, almost sleepy music that characterizes the rest of the album enhance the overall composition wonderfully. The album never lets itself get too slow for too long; the variation in sound keeps the music new and interesting throughout the whole album.
As far as vocals are concerned, Bridwell is as amazing as always. He tends toward upper ranges but comes down occasionally to demonstrate his vocal prowess.
A new development in Cease to Begin is his accent coming out on the slower, folk-country songs. The slight southern accent would sound hokey and cliché for many bands, but it offers a certain richness, coming from the diversity of voice, when taken in context with the instrumentals and the feel of the overall sound. It really appears purposefully dovetailed, especially with the guitar part, which adds further to the sense of great musical maturity from this up and coming band.
Overall the total composition of the album is fantastic and offers a unique sound in today's music scene, a sound that at times is reminiscent of The Flaming Lips and at others has the folk feel of something from Bright Eyes. Band of Horses showed great musical mastery in the band's first album and continues the tradition (even improves) with Cease to Begin.
Their first CD, Everything All the Time, shocked listeners when it appeared because of its mature instrumentals and obscure but powerful lyrics. The album's hit single "The Funeral" was a good representation of their new sound: Mellow, beautiful instrumentals and clean, melodic, dynamic vocals that inspire the listener to do what few do these days - sit back, relax and enjoy the music.
Cease to Begin accomplishes this same great feat. With more focus now on the guitar parts, the songs begin to take on two different sounds. Some of the songs, such as "Detlef Schrempf" and "The General Specific" get a slight folk-country flavor; this southern feel actually suits the mood of these songs, which almost tend to be lamentations. It is in the final track, "Window Blues," however, that the folk-country style is most powerful, causing a feeling of nostalgia to take hold as the listener gets lost in the music.
On the other hand, a second style is advanced by the band, and done so with as much mastery as always. In "Ode to LRC" and "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands" the band picks up the pace and get more aggressive with the sound. Faster tempos and harder guitar parts show the passionate side of lead singer Ben Bridwell as he belts out his lyrics with astonishing fervor.
These breaks from the slower, almost sleepy music that characterizes the rest of the album enhance the overall composition wonderfully. The album never lets itself get too slow for too long; the variation in sound keeps the music new and interesting throughout the whole album.
As far as vocals are concerned, Bridwell is as amazing as always. He tends toward upper ranges but comes down occasionally to demonstrate his vocal prowess.
A new development in Cease to Begin is his accent coming out on the slower, folk-country songs. The slight southern accent would sound hokey and cliché for many bands, but it offers a certain richness, coming from the diversity of voice, when taken in context with the instrumentals and the feel of the overall sound. It really appears purposefully dovetailed, especially with the guitar part, which adds further to the sense of great musical maturity from this up and coming band.
Overall the total composition of the album is fantastic and offers a unique sound in today's music scene, a sound that at times is reminiscent of The Flaming Lips and at others has the folk feel of something from Bright Eyes. Band of Horses showed great musical mastery in the band's first album and continues the tradition (even improves) with Cease to Begin.
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