Band of Horses Cease to Begin (Sub Pop)

Editors Note: This review reflects the personal opinions and experiences of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of the Ist network as a whole. Enjoy!

In your typical southern suburban town of Irmo in Columbia, South Carolina is where Band of Horses singer Ben Bridwell and I went to high school. Among the strip malls and neighborhood watch signs, between high school football games and okra festivals there lies the school, which we both attended in the mid-'90s, settled in a dense population of rich kids and red necks. When there’s such a small population of punk rockers in the school, you know everyone at least by reputation. Bridwell was a few years older than me, and I really only knew him through mutual friends and stories involving school rooftop escapes from administrators after being caught smoking in the bathroom.

With the release of Band of Horses’ second full-length, Cease to Begin, it’s clear now that the indie success of the first album wasn’t just a fluke. I’m always happy to hear about people from my hometown making good, like Sam Beam of Iron & Wine, whose also from Columbia. When your hometown’s most well-known musical contribution is Hootie & the Blowfish, you tend to get a little overly exuberant when indie/folk bands from there start to gain national attention.

Band of Horses Official
Band of Horses MySpace

Last year’s Everything All the Time was an unexpected indie gem from this band from out of the blue, and certain tracks like “The Funeral” and “Wicked Gil” can grow on you like a network of feral vines or lichens causing you to sing along with Bridwell’s echo-reaching, high tones. And, Cease to Begin doesn’t disappoint. Although, the reverb in his voice is toned down a little from the last record. Still present in the Horses’ music and lyrics is a slight feeling of transientness, of a band who’s sound doesn’t really have a home, or has several homes. There’s a definite Northwest component. The band formed in Seattle after Bridwell, like many seeking bigger things, moved out of South Carolina. Of course, there’s also that Southern sensation, which was perhaps made more prevalent when Bridwell moved back to South Carolina and brought the band with him last winter to live the Charleston life. Picture sipping mimosas on the beach, shagging and other makings of a pleasant existence.

Calm and considerate is a great way to describe the robust, affectionate indie rock sounds of Cease to Begin. “Marry Song” is a great track to augment the dreamy moonlit seascape on the album’s cover with lazy, layered, country-sounding vocals singing “how is your sister/ and what of your brother/ extend hellos to your father and mother” against soft keys and slow beats. The twinkling guitars and light brushwork fill the atmosphere with the sounds of autumn on the nod to NBA star “Detlef Schrempf” while Bridwell thaws everyone out with the lofty echos “If you say you’re gonna go/ then be careful/ and watch how you treat every living soul.” Taken out of context these lyrics could come off as a little cheesy and new agey, but when they mix with the music it’s like the components of a glow stick. The end result is warming, like blowing steamy breath into cracked, icy hands. It’s a perfect fit for a release date in the beginning of fall. The sentiment of Cease to Begin is so thick that when Bridwell proclaims “the world is such a wonderful place” during the slightly more rocking and rollicking “Ode to LRC,” you almost believe it.