Infinite Arms
Band of Horses
With a move to Columbia from the Sub Pop label that helped spawn them, someone is wagering that the South Carolina-via-Seattle beards of Band of Horses will soon be swelling in stubbly popularity to Kings of Leon-sized proportions.
Those hopes are self-evident in the tone of this album. As soon as the bombastic strings of Factory (coming soon to a World Cup montage near you) sweep into view, there's a feeling that this is to be Ben Bridwell and company's big breakthrough. And hopefully it might be, as there's plenty to like here – Factory for start, as well as the fleet-footed Way Back Home, which sounds like it's convinced itself it's going to metamorphose into Sloop John B at any moment. There's Blue Beard, which "la-la oohs" prettily before going into a middle-eight that sounds like the Starland Vocal Band's Afternoon Delight, of all things.
Then there's the beautiful piano and keys which make the closing track Neighbor sound like a moment of deathly realisation in a Cormac McCarthy novel. That feeling is helped by the line, "once upon a town in a border town". Yep, there's plenty of country for these young men.
There's something not quite as cutting about Infinite Arms as Band of Horses' previous efforts, though. The overall tone is more the choral country of tracks like Cease to Begin's Detlef Schrempf and of peers like Midlake and Fleet Foxes, rather than the sharp heights of Everything All the Time's The Funeral and Cease to Begin's Is There a Ghost? The title-track flirts with dreariness, as do lines as lines as lumpen as "the Midwestern sky is grey and cold". We can forgive them that, though. Fans of the band, and those with a rustling liking for a certain kind of beard-here-now Americana, will devour this like a bottle of the Bartles & Jaymes wine cooler referenced on the last track.
Reviewed by Will Dean
It's a horrendous and forgettable album. I have no idea what happened to them.
Love it!
12 tracks on cd not 17 get it sorted
I skip "Dilly", "Evening Kitchen" and "Older" (tracks 7 to 9) and the album improves a lot. Not much of a fan of those 3 songs
It's a good album, but I usually end up listening to Dilly and Evening Kitchen on repeat. The other songs are just not as memorable to me as those two.
Compliments
I couldn't say wich of their albums i love more, but this one is fantastic!
Infinite Arms is their best album up to now, but best song is still Funeral:)
Reminds me of Neil Young soo much. I love it.
This is so great.
The best.
Upon my first listen, when the album was released, I wrote it off as being forgettable. I listened a few other times since then but the album had just seemed so bland and boring. I'm not sure what changed, or what happened, but suddenly this album has become a master piece in my eyes and I cannot stop listening. I love it.
After initially being disappointed by this album, it's growing on me, especially the first half.
Worst album by far. Seriously disappointing.
I think I might like this better than Cease to Begin. And I didn't believe that was possible.
I can't believe no one has mentioned Grand Archives yet.
I like most of the album, but not really a fan of Neighbor.
Posted a video for Neighbor. Check it out.
First half is more rockin, but more commercially poppy. It's all I'd heard leading up to the release. Since the release though I find myself listening more to the second half where there real gems are. I love the slower, more folksy, less commercial songs of this band. I wish they had more good faster tempo, upbeat songs that didn't sound so repetitive or with utterly nonsensical and goofy lyrics.
First half = EPIC Second half = BAD
Love.
it's nice album!
I've always been indifferent toward BoH but decided to give this a listen after I realised the Carissa's Wierd connection. Definitely a grower, I can't stop listening to it. Mind = blown.
Such negative reviews on this page. Almost put me off listening to it but I think I'll give it a go seeing as I love the other albums.
I've loved Band of Horses since their first album and I still think this easily surpasses it as their best work to date. It might not have my favourite song on it, but for me, it is still their most consistently brilliant and cohesive album. There's a sound that runs through it, which is more than I can say for Cease to Begin (even though that is also a brilliant album).
Just couldn't get into this record, gave up after a few tries.
How does this album sound more commercial? It's still the classic BOH sound. It took me about 5-6 plays to grow on me, but I love this one.
Blue Beard is one of the best BOH tracks ever... [2]
Band of Horses' good streak is finally over it seems. Ah well I still have Everything All the Time to listen to :)
great album, but it took a few spins in my player. blue beard is one of the best BOH tracks ever...
It's a grower, guys. Give it time. Yes, it's different, but I'm not sure I agree that it's got too much polish. Same beautiful melodies, same country tinge, same gorgeous vocals. I'd put it on par with Cease to Begin at the moment, we'll see if it has the same staying power and repeatability as its predecessor.
Will have to listen a few more times to wrap my head around it, but first impressions were luke warm, and it has NOTHING to do with being major label. They've lost a bit of the southern, grassroots and gritty aspects and replaced with a little too much polish IMO. That being said, I'll still give it another listen or two to see if it grows on me.
I guess you fail to realize different doesn't mean bad, Karoljo.
I listened to the new album a few times now and the more i listen to it, the more i like it.
It's simple,this album is nothing like the first two,not because is their's major label,there's just something missing...it's just not that good beacuse first two were brilliant so I guess we're all a bit disappointed,but still not bad..
I don't know if I like this... I'm going to have to listen some more but I am very fond of EAtT, CtB is good, but their first album is easily the best.
I enjoy this album more than Cease to Begin :)
really, they recorded it on Columbia. 2 first albums were made on Sub Pop. but I suppose that Band of Horses`s appearence on major-label is deservedly
ну слава богу!!! ихааааа!!!!!!!!!
passionately understated, even richer live.
Oh, wow, I didn't even realize that Band of Horses weren't on the Sub Pop label any more!
i'm about 99 percent sure people don't like Infinite Arms mainly because it's Band of Horses' major-label debut...
Another great album. More polished and perhaps more comercial, but a good and satisfactory listen.
I've had both Cease to Begin and Everything All the Time in heavy rotation within the last month, so it's hard for the new songs to measure up on first listen. I like the new album, but not as much as I was expecting to. Their sound is definitely more polished and radio-friendly, which is a bit jarring at first. It'll take some more listens to get used to. So far "Compliments" is a real standout, but "NW Apt." is probably my least favorite due to it being so repetitive.
Well, I think it's ok. I expected at least one or two songs I'd dig right away but the two first albums were just amasing and very difficult to top.
This album is just OK. I was really looking forward to it. There are a few good songs but it just doesn't sound like the same band other then the voice. The guitar melodies on there previous work were just so good.
This is the best Band of Horses record i've ever heard
when did this come out?
Such a good album. Agree with the comments about the album artwork, it's beautiful
This doesn't much sound like Band of Horses... There isn't any edge to this album.