Album Review: Band Of Horses - Mirage Rock

When Carolina's Band Of Horses left Sub Pop for the majors and emerged with third album Infinite Arms back in 2010, many new converts were ushered into the fold but just as many old fans were left bemused by the shiny production and the washes of reverb which were liberally slathered over everything, making it sound to many like a different band to that which they'd known in the past.

Now, with follow up Mirage Rock, they've probably managed to placate both of these camps. Legendary producer Glyn Johns (who's worked with nearly every truly iconic band in history) has done a great job at the helm, providing a pristine production which, while verging on AOR at its cleanest points, also lets some rough edges shine though – probably due to the live tracking – and which (most importantly) never stands in the way of the tunes themselves. The band for their part seem more relaxed, not so serious and earnest, and this translates well across the album's 11 tracks. Throughout the course of the journey they traipse all over the Americana landscape, covering vast tracts of musical terrain in the best traditions of their forebears. How To Live is one of the most effortlessly catchy songs they've committed to tape, A Little Biblical drifts into So-Cal pop territory, Everything's Gonna Be Undone is beautifully pastoral before Feud drags them happily back into southern rock territory. The only anomaly is the slightly confusing Dumpster World and its mixed message of empathy and nihilism, but even this slight misfire is well-intentioned.

Overall an interesting and eclectic album from a band with a long and prosperous future ahead of them.