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Band of Horses

Cease to Begin
Sub Pop Records

While most rock bands try to balance their set lists between a selection of ballads and fast numbers, a number of successful acts have created music that rests at a particular end of the tempo spectrum. The Ramones thrived at Vivace, while a slowcore band such as Low often favors glacial pacing.

Cease to Begin, the second release from Band of Horses, lives somewhere in between, adopting a midtempo musical metabolism. The departure of co-founder Mat Brooke has left multi-instrumentalist Ben Bridwell as the group’s front man. Joined by bassist Rob Hampton and drummer Creighton Barrett, Bridwell has cultivated a sound world that fits right in on the Sub Pop imprint. Oftentimes, the band gives a nod to the pacing and arrangements of fellow West Coast indie rockers Built to Spill, mixing pop and jam aesthetics; but Bridwell’s singing sets Cease to Begin apart, haloing the proceedings with high-lying, vulnerable vocals.

From the irresistible hook of “Is There a Ghost” and the fine ensemble work of modern day roots-rocker “The General Specific” to the dulcet-toned refrain of No One’s Gonna’ Love You,” Band of Horses creates many memorable elements that coalesce into an album of surpassing loveliness. One minor quibble: Bridwell is often awash in echo; while this is effective in small doses, one hopes that the band might allow his voice to bloom unadorned on their next effort.