Album Review: Band of Horses – Things Are Great

A wonderfully familiar sound

Ending their musical hiatus, Band of Horses recently released their latest record, Things Are Great. As if no time has passed, the band brings back all the stunning airy ambiance found in their past records.

This Seattle, Washington group was founded back in 2004 by founder Ben Bridwell and has seen several changes since then, with members joining and leaving. Current members consist of Bridwell, Ryan Monroe, Creighton Barrett, Matt Gentling and Brett Nash. Things Are Great comes in as the band’s sixth record, the first record since their 2016 release, Why Are You OK.  

Soothing, pinging electric guitar welcomes the ears on the first track, “Warning Signs.” This kick-off track embodies everything that fans have grown to love about Band of Horses. There is grit, but also this beautiful airiness from the guitar, joined by flowing drums that are all tied together with the stretched vocal lines.

A single off the record, “Crutch” is a lovely hop that bounces, creating false happiness with the upbeat instrumentation. The lyrics, however, seem to paint a much darker message.  They sing of a man that finds himself building a “Crutch” on a person, and of all the pills in his pocket. The moment the vocals come in, the song becomes instantly stuck on the mind. Beware, long after the song is over, one may catch themselves still humming the hook.

“In Need of Repair ” brings the tempo down but still carries the same stunning ambiance the band is oh so good at. There is a simplicity of the instrumentation that is quite comforting, yet there is a seeming pinpoint precision to each note.  

“Aftermath” follows behind and continues the ballad tempo. The vocals howl with a graceful somberness that envelopes, in a way clearing the mind. Even as a slower track, “Aftermath” still holds a gentle power as it falls within the last minute that rides to the end.

Closing out this heavenly record is “Coalinga.” Ending on a strong note, this track keeps the upbeat power, bringing in every element heard on the record in one last final encore. There is a perfect balance of everything that plays wonderfully together, blending the rises and falls with the gritty guitar and gentle percussion.

Band of Horses once again brings to the table a stunning combination of power and ambiance they have always crafted since their first record. Things Are Great beginning to end is filled with tracks that allow the mind to escape reality during its 41 minutes run time.