25 Albums I Can't Live Without: #9

Band of Horses, "Infinite Arms"

I have a soft spot in my heart for alternative rock, but it’s rare when an alt-rock album doubles as a near-perfect pop record.

I first heard of Band of Horses when I had a subscription to Sirius/XM and heard “No One’s Gonna Love You,” but I didn’t follow up on that song that I enjoyed until they released their version of CeeLo Green’s “Georgia” with backing from the University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band.

That was in 2010, the same year they released their best album, “Infinite Arms.” That album kicks off with “Factory” with its lush strings and clever wordplay with candy brands.

The edgy “Compliments” follows, along with the upbeat “Laredo,” which lead singer and songwriter Ben Bridwell says was inspired by homesickness.

The ballads “Blue Beard,” “On My Way Back Home,” and “Infinite Arms” are three of the quietest moments on the album, and they occur back to back to back.

“Dilly” adds a synth bass line for a bit of a change of pace…

…while “Older” cultivates a country vibe.

“NW Apt.” is another driving rocker that’s irresistible. It describes the itinerant life of a band trying to make it.

In his review on AllMusic, Andrew Leahey wrote, “Infinite Arms is a borderline pop album, though, dressed up in flannel and facial hair to disguise the fact that these melodies are, with few exceptions, the sweetest of the group's career.”

He added, “But the album's willingness to sample from so many different genres — roots, soft rock, alt.country, power pop, indie folk — makes it sound like nothing else in 2010, and Band of Horses connect the dots by layering everything with canyon-worthy reverb and cinematic guitars.”

There’s not a bad song on the album, and the sound walks a delicate line between rock and pop — and succeeds. The vocals are superb, with harmonies that suggest The Carpenters, The Beach Boys, and other great vocal groups at turns.

Photo credit: Steven Friederich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons