We’d mentioned Band Of Horses left Sub Pop for Cease To Begin followup Infinite Arms. Now we have more than a pretty nightscape cover photo to share with you. As mentioned last time, the current lineup’s Ben Bridwell, Creighton Barrett, and Ryan Monroe with longtime touring members Tyler Ramsey and Bill Reynolds. Judging from “Compliments,” they put the extra hands toward creating a bigger sound. Peruse the tracklist while you get acquainted with the bouncing, optimistically cautious “Compliments” and its video’s morphing nature imagery.
01 “Factory”
02 “Compliments”
03 “Laredo”
04 “Blue Beard”
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5 “On My Way Back Home
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06 “Infinite Arms”
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7 “Dilly”
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8 “Evening Kitchen”
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9 “Older”
10 “For Annabelle”
11 “NW Apt.
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12 “Neighbor”
Infinite Arms is out 5/18 via Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia.
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Good song
Pretty meh.
Agreed. I hope I’m not let down by this album.
The sound is definetley brighter and more robust than anything on cease to begin. A logical direction if you ask me. Can’t wait to hear the rest.
This dude knows what’s up. I listened to it five times in a row and loved every minute of it. It feels very much in line with the spirit of the band and their music, without sounding like they’re just playing it safe and staying within their comfort zone. I don’t think it sounds overly commercial or like their “selling out”– which is a silly and shallow criticism anyway– it sounds to me like a very natural and welcome progression of their sound.
This song is baby poo. Yellow, soft, squishy baby poo. I literally poo songs like this a couple times a day.
Damn funny. I got a good laugh. I don’t necessarily adhere to your opinion. But I definitely appreciate reading comments like this on Stereogum. Unlike, say, Pitchfork — where they could care less what the readers of their site think. Pitchfork = One-sided opinion.
This song has no emotion or soul. In many ways a song like this is the definition of “selling out” because it appears to me that Band of Horses are trying to make a generic Kings of Leon type radio hit. It might work, but to me this song is ridiculously run of the mill and the lyrics are god awful. What a shame too as I really love a lot of this band’s past work.
because they couldn’t possibly make a track that they like that you would hate. what sell outs.
These doods are still good. Too many haters.
true they are a great band, but this song sucks. i am whole heartedly disappointed. i hope the album will be much better
Are you guys afraid of rock ‘n’ roll? It’s nice to see a talented but somewhat limited band broaden their horizons.
I guess this didn’t have enough reverb for the haters.
Love that people are trying to defend this track. It’s simply not good.
I’m from SC. This sounds like a band from SC. I leave that statement up to your interpretation….
it sounds like everything else out there. on their previous albums they had an energy, style, and sincerity that was unique to band of horses. on this song they seem to have abandoned that, for perhaps commercial success. it’s a lackluster effort from the chord progression down to the vocal style.
exactly
“If there’s a god up in the air, someone looking over everyone, at least you’ve got someone to fall back on”
Really?!?!
This is really disappointing… I love Band of Horses but if all the songs on the new album are like this I don’t think I can bring myself to buy it.
What struck me about this song was its complete and utter mediocrity. Ordinarly, I would think “complete and utter” would be difficult to pair with “mediocrity,” but this song manages to pull off that virtuoso feat. The lyrics are trite feel good nonsense. To wit, “If there’s a God up in the air/ Someone looking over everyone/ At least you’ve got something to fall back on.” This literally makes no sense. It is a nonstatement of nothing without the benefit of at least the sound of the words being pleasing to the ear. Tell me there’s a God. Tell me there’s no God. Take a position. If, inded, BOH. Moving on. Musically, this sounds like a better than average band from Anywhere, USA. Melodically, it feels like its right on the cusp of being cool, but doesn’t quite achieve it. Completely and utterly mediocre.
Right, because lyrics like “shaking, awful / shaking, asshole” are so full of meaning, and this song just pales in comparison. Please. Just because a song mentions god, it doesn’t mean it’s somehow obliged to address the issue in a definitive way. This is fucking rock and roll, you guys, not a philosophical thesis on theism. The goal isn’t to take a bold position on god, the point is to address the complexity and ambiguity of the issue.
And to say that, musically, it sounds like the average band from “anywhere, usa” is a disservice to Bridwell’s songwriting skills. There’s a subtlety and understanding evident in the structure of the song, and, really, it’s not that different from other BoH songs in the way that it presents itself.
Alllright, so I might be drunk, and I’ll even admit that last sentence only makes sense to me, but I know a good song when I hear it. Ted Leo let me down this year, Hold Steady has let me down this year– and I was but hearing this song was a huge relief to me– Band of Horses has done me no wrong, and they only continue to write good music. I can only hope that the rest of this album is as good as this song.
What a bunch of babies you guys are, especially trinity firearms.
And I don’t know what is so hard to understand about the lyrics. It’s obvious that they are directed towards someone who is religious, who when all else lost, can at least fall back on their faith.
lonerwithaboner pull your head out your ass, and learn how to interpret things.
LOL @ kyle McGill
Whatever you say bro!
LOL @ trinity fagarms!
your criticism is definitely augmented by throwing around “fag” as an insult. Nice one!
I have degrees from lawyer school and english degree school. Do you have any suggestions for learning how to interpret “things” better?
heh, ‘lawyer school’.
Bullshit
Cool song. Very cool video.
I love the complaints though. As if this song is any different from anything on Cease to Begin. Like BOH were ever throwing around crazy chord progressions or anything else. They just write good rock songs.
This.
absolute rubbish. come on BOH..step yo game up.
I am astounded at the negative criticism. This song is amazing.
I like this because it reminds me of some of the great country rock that I used to love in the 70s. It’s not quite brought into the present the way that someone like Yeasayer does with thier 80s throwback sound so I can see why some are hating on it. It’s always entertaining to read the comments.
Everyone should hear this out!
Listen to your elders, their imput is well thought out.
Thank you mam.
oh, brother…if they’re using this to promote the album, I fear the worst. I’m altogether baffled that this invention comes to us from the same guy who had a major hand in Carissa’s Wierd. I just don’t get it. I absolutely understand that evolution of sound is part and parcel to a band’s longevity. In most cases, it generally takes me giving more than a few listens to new material of any band I respect to fully appreciate it. It pains me to say this, but, alas, in this case, I don’t believe I could bear to dignify this pap a second listen.
Stereogum doesn’t like Agnostics?
Indie Rawkers are firm in their Atheism.
It’s fine but there is nothing special about this song.Hope it’s not indicative of the album.
more derivative bullshit typical state of all indie bands
Indie just means independent label. Independents usually have more creative control and individuality, but you probably wouldnt know anything about that mr NASCAR man.
It isn’t aweful….but i don’t particularly like it. Sure as hell doesn’t compare to their last two albums. Gonna see these guys soon, sure hope they stick to the old stuff.
Words cant describe how disappointed I am after hearing this song. If this is the best they have to offer my heart will break. I love this band so much… sad day…
I will agree with the general mediocrity consensus. The video is interesting, but the song sounds like it’s been done a few times. Not too thrilled with the lyrics either.
From what I heard out of BoH’s last tour, the new album isn’t going to be that great. It seems like they’re doing a Mystic Valley Band thing, where everyone in the band gets a turn on the mic. One of the new songs they played had the exact same chord progression as the song they played before it; I don’t remember the song, but it was something off of Everything All the Time. I and the rest of the crowd weren’t exactly digging any of the new material.
I’m sorry but this band has severely downgraded since the loss of Mat Brooke to Grand Archives. They have completely lost what once made them great. Everything All The Time was the record that made this band great. Since that time they have just been writing catchy songs, that I do like but that just aren’t deep or worthwhile when you listen to the songs on Everything All The Time. Take “Is There A Ghost” for instance off Cease To Begin. I won’t argue a very catchy song. But lyrically??? It is two lines repeating the whole time. There were only a select few songs on that album that did anything for me, where Everything All The Time was just from top to bottom great. When you look at the band and see that only 2 of the original members remain, it’s telling you that the band went in a completely new direction. One that falls so short in comparison to the old. This new song is just as everyone describes. It’s lyrically boring and mediocre. Catchy is about the best compliment I can give the song Compliments.
watch sinful comics: http://bit.ly/bqaTMo
I liked this video the first time, when it was Underworld’s “Push Upstairs,” and it was executed a lot more elegantly, over a decade ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogTWQSLuX9s
stop hatin’! this shit is badass!
This song is terrible. Are you guys deaf?
Classic.
I like it. Why wouldn’t you? It’s easy going. Upbeat. Great harmony. Am I missing something? OHhhhhh right God..
I never understood why people like this band. It’s almost amazing how incredibly bland they are. I saw them once and they had 3 guitar players, not one doing anything at all interesting. Every verse had two chords going back and forth, it all kind of swirled together into this transparent strummy 70′s bullshit. The singer guy had a pedal steel on stage for some reason, he certainly couldn’t play it. Instruments aren’t props, and Bland of Horses are not good.
This sounds like something straight off Gravity Talks era Green on Red, and that’s a very good thing indeed. Throw in the Long Ryders face fuzz and you’ve got a perfect throwback to prime-era Paisley Underground. Top stuff.
I wish people could consider that even idols change. Maybe when they wrote this, it came straight from where all the other songs did; their hearts. Whether one likes it or not, we still have to accept where they are now as people. Any one who expresses themselves in any form can relate and respect this.
I like the new sound for these guys. Growth is always good.
No Compliments – Band of Horses**t
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Neil Young Influence is very pronounced on this one!