Band Of Horses

As the follow-up to Everything All the Time, one of indie rock's best debuts of 2006, Cease to Begin finds Band of Horses on a shaky pedestal from which they could easily come tumbling down. And while it may lack a Wal-Mart-approved hit like "The Funeral," this sophomore effort equals its predecessor's majestic earnestness. Where the former full-length drew comparisons to early Neil Young, Cease portrays a band comfortable in its own skin and knowing what it does well: conjuring wistful melancholy and joyful catharsis, which is something few acts can equal.

For those who prefer their indie rock with a big dose of beauty, look no further than South
Carolina’s Band of Horses. Like their equally crystalline debut, Cease to Begin is long on
dreamlike, rootsy songs that top churning guitars with glacially pretty, reverb-slathered
vocals. “The General Specific” and “Detlef Schrempf” are as tuneful as almost any song
you’ll hear this year, and “Marry Song” is a harmonized slo-mo ballad begging... More >