Friday music blogging: Band of Horses

A new track from the presumptive album of the year

Posted by David Roberts at 5:21 PM on 28 Sep 2007

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Listen

Play "Is There a Ghost," by Band of Horses:

I'm not sure I've ever witnessed an album embraced so unreservedly and immediately by so many indie fans as Everything All the Time, the 2006 Sub Pop debut from Band of Horses. Three of the founding members -- Ben Bridwell, Matt Brooke, and Creighton Barrett -- were in the "quiet core" band Carissa's Wierd, but nothing about that whispery, mildly diverting music prepared fans for the wide-open, ringing majesty of BoH. The band just seemed to descend into the world fully formed -- and perfect.

Needless to say, anticipation has been high for the follow-up, Cease to Begin. How could it possibly live up to the debut? News that Brooke had left the band raised concerns of a sophomore slump.

Well. It's not officially out until Oct. 9, but I've heard the new album and holy sh*t it's f*cking amazing. It's only September, but I'm about ready to call it the album of the year.

Ben Birdwell's reedy, haunting vocals frequently draw comparisons to Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and the bands are similar in spirit too -- ambitious and soaring, with occasional notes of country twang and psychedelic jamminess. BoH is on tour behind the new album. Catch 'em if you can.

This song is the debut single, "Is There a Ghost." Listen and weep.

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I found a funny review of this song

7]

Tom Ewing: "I could sleep I could sleep when I lived alone is there a ghost in my house?" These are the only lyrics in this song, and you get quite a few chances to think about them. So, for instance, I wonder - if you could sleep when you lived alone, maybe it is the other person and not a ghost who is keeping you awake? And hey, hold on, maybe that is the DEEP POINT cos the ghost is, like, his conscience or his ex or something. (Or it's the other person in a big white sheet). Or perhaps they're just words and I should focus on the amazing surging music and not worry about them. But that's quite difficult, because the amazing surging music is in fact standard wrist-waggling shoegaze, and also Mr Of Horses keeps keening over it about all the sleeping and ghosts stuff. I'll tell you what IS in his house, and that's an Arcade Fire record.

Tom Athanasiou toma@ecoequity.org

by Tom Athanasiou at 12:25 PM on 29 Sep 2007

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