Band of Horses

It's one thing to say that Band of Horses is influenced by Built to Spill, The Flaming Lips, and The Shins. But there isn't a single sound on Everything All the Time, the Seattle group's debut, that doesn't come from one of these three influences. Still, it's a pretty inspired...

By Jason Heller

March 16, 2006

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

It's one thing to say that Band of Horses is influenced by Built to Spill, The Flaming Lips, and The Shins. But there isn't a single sound on Everything All the Time, the Seattle group's debut, that doesn't come from one of these three influences. Still, it's a pretty inspired aping. Bassist Matt Brooke and singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell spent a decade in the insanely overlooked Carissa's Wierd -- and while they bring little of their old outfit's stubborn originality to Band of Horses, it's got soul to spare. With prairie-size guitars, and vocals thin enough to slip through the cracks between atoms, Bridwell sounds like a one-man philharmonic of pussies as he whines and twangs about funerals, the Great Salt Lake, and weed parties. There's something inherently rigid, limp and tooth-grindingly dull about this brand of indie rock -- and yet Band of Horses, like its more famed forebears, manages to gallop right through the bland barrier.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Phoenix New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.