Band of Horses
Everything All the Time
2006

Band of Horses first took up permanent residency in my head last spring with a series of demos, and I would dare to say (okay, I will definitely say) that nothing charmed/amazed/entranced me quite as much as those small songs in 2005. Led by Ben Bridwell and Mat Brooke--of the now defunct and criminally under appreciated Carissa's Wierd--Band of Horses make their Subpop debut with Everything All the Time--produced by one Mr. Phil Ek. (You may know him from his works with bands like The Shins and Built to Spill, amongst many others.)

Haunting, earthy, intimate and sprawling all at the same time--conjuring up long drives and open roads and the stillness of a long walk in the woods-these songs are quietly powerful and full of promise. Incorporating elements of folk, country, and even psychedelia with crisply clean guitars that almost verge on hollow sounding at times, there is a dreamy floatiness that surrounds the tracks. Band of Horses finds Ben Bridwell stepping into the songwriter role (drummer in Carissa's Wierd), and he does it so well. Simple and unadorned, his lyrics are down to earth and expressive--take the beautifully unassuming "Part One Song", for example: "Slowly dear I ask/Would you dance with me/Here's the shades down/The lights are off." Ben's vocals carry these songs and give them texture. His voice is distinctive--warm, almost nasally, rich, and with a healthy dose of reverb (and let's face it, that's not a bad thing--think Jim James/Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers). When paired with Mat's low backing vocals, the combination is almost ethereal, especially on "I Like To Go To the Barn Because I Like The", which is a fleshed-out version of the little gem & "I'd Like to Think" [MP3] that the two recorded under the name November 16th, and the album closer "St. Augustine". "The Funeral" [MP3] (so good in demo form) takes on a new form under Ek's hand. Where the demo version quietly, slowly and patiently---with warm tones-- gathers steam before it opens up, the production on the album version makes it almost anthemic. It doesn't lose any of its power, either lyrically "At every occasion I'm ready for a funeral" or musically in the process, however-- in fact, when the guitars first kick in (right around 1:21) it sends chills through my musical heart. "Own Swords," with its chugging bass line that is the focus of the song and crisp drumming that guides it along, is particularly fine, as is the "The Great Salt Lake" --all crunchy guitars and pounding drums until it opens up into a shimmering explosion.

Everything All the Time is a treasure of an album, one that deserves your time and attention, as well as multiple listens (and it won't be long before it's under your skin entirely.) In a year filled with possibility, this one should not be overlooked--it's already on my list of the best in 2006.

s :: (March, March!2006!)