Band of Horses
Cease to Begin
(Sub Pop, 2007)

The first thing I noticed upon an initial listen to Band of Horses’ new album, Cease to Begin, was that it seemed to be over in 15 minutes. Before I knew it, I was already on the last track. Second of all, I found the whole thing pretty underwhelming. Nowhere are there tracks as striking as those found on their debut Everything All the Time, which contains several songs that reached the top of my playlist (namely “Part One”, “Funeral”, and “Monsters”). Throughout the listen I was awaiting that song that bowled me over with its stirring build-up and sad words. But maybe my initial reaction came from the bane of trying to formulate an opinion fast enough to develop a coherent record review. Sometimes it’s easier to look for the strong and weak points rather than allow the album to exist as a uniform statement that takes a number of listens to draw from it all of its understated strength.

Cease to Begin is certainly an album of this “growing” caliber. While at times it teeters on less than impressive with recurring maudlin themes (i.e. the repeating lyric “The world is such a wonderful place” from “Ode to LRC”), its weight tips it to the side of a beautiful album—even if it doesn’t necessarily grab you and shake you up, the overall aesthetic is a source of solace. It’s Band of Horses, and their strength lies in the earnestness they project so well. Harmonized vocals, euphonious melodies, melodramatic but spacious songs, and the cohesive band dynamic finds them forging into introspective territory that still today casts forth a fresh, unaffected sound. They’re kinda sappy, sure… but, c’mon, you don’t listen to Band of Horses expecting abrasive noise rock.

And that in itself is the beauty of a Band of Horses album. This is music you listen to when you want to wallow in comfort. Fellow founder and longtime musical collaborator to Ben Bridwell, Mat Brooke, left the band last year, leaving Bridwell in charge, who then moved home to South Carolina. He sounds so comfortably rooted back in the southern East Coast, which is a geographical presence in Cease to Begin. Bridwell’s voice really makes me want to hug someone. Ideally him. He’s kind of a hippie, and he has a big beard. His voice recalls thoughts of stately Southern weeping willow trees. When I went with my girlfriends to see Band of Horses live a few years ago, we all fell in love with him. And, as Cease to Begin grows on me, I find that the more I listen, the more I appreciate it—winning me over by the minute.

The album kicks in with “Is There a Ghost”, which is a slow rolling anthem that thunders into the propulsive beat of the introduction to the album. Highlights on Cease to Begin are the atmospheric “Detlef Schrempf” (which is the name of an NBA basketball player) and the following track, “The General Specific”, which is a more upbeat, country-tinged tune that changes gears when it’s needed. “Marry Song” is really sweet, with harmonies that melt my heart. “Marry my mind is to say the least / It’s been awful hard to just stand on my feet / I think I’ll slow down if I am able / I won’t drown in the ocean / For starving my place at the table.” And, like I said, next thing you know you’re at the end, track 10, with the cathartic and melancholy “Windows Blue.” This sentimental last track is the perfect way to end the album. Now I want to have a good cry, the kind that only a lightly plucking banjo can invoke. I miss home, too. Apparently Cease to Begin has affected me after all.

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]