Upcoming Album: Band of Horses

Ben Bridwell and co. retreated to the Carolinas to record their third album almost immediately after they finished their tour in support of their second album Cease to Begin.  Infinite Arms will be released May 18th, accompanied by a U.S. co-headlining tour with Pearl Jam, a march through the U.K., then to Summersonic in Japan and then back to Britain for Reading and Leeds.

Like their Seattle kin Fleet Foxes, they excel at projecting the woodsy, earthy type of reverbed songs that are dreamily pleasant.  But that's not saying they sound like every other band fitting that description.  Their debut album Everything All The Time showed their prowess at integrating emotion, shimmer, and rock.  With their second, it can be said that the first represented adolescence, and the current was adulthood.  It was more mature, with distinct traditional folk and Southern blues influences marked by their move from Seattle to South Carolina.  Listening to bits of their third album, it is still unclear where their sound is going, but noting the use of strings, more "sophistication" may be on the way but there are also clear indications of the debut's sound, which I personally am looking forward to.

Listen to "Factory" for yourself.

Nota bene: If you get a chance to catch them live, they put on a damn good show.  No joke.  It's pure bliss.