Band of Horses
'Infinite Arms'
Rootsy pros perfect their soaring, aching moan.
Three albums is all it takes these days to graduate from buzzy upstarts to grizzled veterans. Not long ago, Ben Bridwell's reedy vocals and slow-burn guitar were compared to Built to Spill's Doug Martsch; Bridwell himself is now a touch- stone. But when does "consistent" translate to "rut"? For Band of Horses, not yet. Still present, and lovely, are the lilting ballads ("Infinite Arms," "Evening Kitchen," "Older"), afternoon-delightful AM gold ("Blue Beard"), and keening boot-stompers ("Northwest Apartment"), all delivered with a back-porch abandon many beardos emulate, but few match.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The online version of this review was posted with the wrong rating. Its correct rating is four stars, not two, as originally indicated.
