Band Of Horses

★★★★

Things Are Great

BMG. CD/DL/LP

Ben Bridwell takes his band back to their beginnings.

Based largely on the reputation of their third LP Infinite

Arms, Band Of Horses are often tagged as Americana. Over the intervening 12 years, however, sole remaining founder Ben Bridwell has presided over a revolving door of colleagues and two everblander, mainstream-chasing albums. Things Are Great ’s title alone signifies that Bridwell has moved on from its downbeat predecessor, 2016’s Why

Are You OK, but he’s also executed a welcome U-turn back to the harder sound of earlier records. With yet another line-up shuffle, and Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle again helping on production, Bridwell deals with relationships and friendships lost, recovered and cemented during the last five years. Leading the hardened edge of these epic indie rock songs are Bridwell’s eccentric non-chords and tunings, making this easily Band Of Horses’ best LP in over a decade.

Andy Fyfe