As Posted on December 15, 2010 on Facebook.com/fiestabravamusic
 
 Infinite Arms by Band of Horses

 

Could less fuss have been made over one of the most beautiful albums of the year? Q Magazine called it a "strangely domestic affair" and it's true. This is less a Friday night album than a Sunday afternoon one. Perhaps that is why you don't hear people raving about it in the same way they do the new Sufjan Stevens or Arcade Fire, two albums that are much more overtly ambitious. But despite its lack of flash or hype, Infinite Arms has quietly garnered positive reviews and become a major international success.

 

Bridwell said, "With this record it's a real band that I'm part of. No one's going anywhere, everyone's contributing to the songwriting process," and you can hear it. The band's arrangements are at once subtle and lush, inviting positive comparisons to Brian Wilson-era Beach Boys. Curiously, critics continue to tread water with Neil Young comparisons, but BoH doesn't ever sound as ragged and unruly here as Young. If anything, this is Americana Chamber Pop. Listening close, you get the sense that BoH was interested in crafting a classic pop masterpiece in which every sound played by every instrument was carefully and lovingly considered before being placed in the mix. Given this, the fact that they also managed to make the whole album sound casual and effortless is a rare feat.