In Review: Band of Horses - "Things Are Great"

 

Ben Bridwell knows a thing or two about change. Things Are Great, Band of Horses' sixth studio album (and first in six years) sees the group on their fourth record label with their sixteenth band member; Bridwell is the sole original member remaining from their earliest incarnation as the fawned-over indie buzz band who first caught attention over fifteen years ago with their highly lauded debut Everything All the Time. An aching, earnest record full of heart and raw emotion, Everything All the Time is the blessing and the curse Bridwell has wrestled with for the entirety of Band of Horses' run; each subsequent album has been held up against that first record, criticisms unfairly painted with the same broad brush. As new sonic ground was explored (and new players brought on to facilitate exploration), the sign posts inevitably pointed back to 2006, for better or for worse.

Things Are Great is getting some of that slightly misleading "return to form" buzz, it's certainly warranted to an extent; some of those early vibes are indeed present, especially on opener Warning Signs, which cribs a fraction of the emotional intensity of The Funeral as it builds toward its conclusion. Elsewhere, there are some melodic widescreen moments, such as the lilting, heartbroken In the Hard Times, the subdued at first and boiling over at its end Aftermath, or the layered and hopeful closer Coalinga.

Perhaps the nostalgia Things Are Great is best at, however, is to some of Band of Horses' most memorable singles. The sunny, upbeat and harmonic styles employed on post-major label signing hits like Laredo and Knock Knock are somewhat of a connective tissue on the album, as is most effectively conveyed by the jangly, peppy lead single Crutch, maybe the bounciest single they've put out to date (and, wouldn't you know it, Crutch is the first #1 they've ever had on radio). The other two lead-in singles, In Need of Repair and Lights, carry the same laid-back and supremely harmonic tendencies, while late album cut Ice Night We're Having is practically punk by BoH standards.

That covers the majority of the album and, though there isn't much in the way of sonic deviation, there is room for a couple of side steps; Tragedy of the Commons lends itself to the more melancholic moods that permeated those early albums but is restless in scope and style, undergoing a few transitions along the way while coming back to its simple, effective chorus. You Are Nice To Me, meanwhile, incorporates some processed beats and added sonic clutter to obfuscate one of the album's sparsest overall songs.

That pair of songs, involuntarily as it may be, illustrate my biggest criticism of Things Are Great; they stand out on a track list that's mostly comprised of songs that strive for a return to the band's early days and/or middle of the road success. Now, there's nothing wrong with playing to your strengths, and Band of Horses are very strong at indie melancholy and big chorus melodies in equal measure; I admit that, as few chances as the album takes, this is still perhaps the Band of Horses album that's most pleasant to listen to. It just occurs to me that, as far as progression goes, they haven't really strayed all that far from where they started, despite all of the changes they've undergone.

March 4, 2022 • BMG

Highlights Crutch • Tragedy of the Commons • In the Hard Times