BAND OF HORSES – INFINITE

There may have been a time when the horse had no name, but now it is the Band of Horses, and they own the desert. Well maybe not the desert, but they can lay claim to being kings of mid-tempo Americana rock and folk with their third album Infinite. Band of Horses move from being indie darlings to serious players on this album, with sweet melodies aplenty, albeit with the dust still resting on their cowboy boots – think Neil Young meets Coldplay with a hint of Fleetwood Mac. But don’t forget the jangle, Blue Beard even echoes the chime of Crimson and Clover’s guitars, while Compliments shows they will know how to rock in those big stadiums that beckon, and Older is the song Gram Parsons never got around to writing. Laredo is the killer single-in-waiting; radio friendly, just over the magic three minutes and with an all too simple and infectious riff. The power of the male vocal harmony is making a comeback, as witnessed by the likes of Fleet of Foxes and Grizzly Bear, and Band of Horses add their name to the list who obviously own a few Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young albums. They even have the facial hair – let your freak flags fly guys.

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