My biggest issue with Band of Horses is that they’ve never been brave enough to break out of their melodic My Morning Jacket-lite mode.  Don’t get me wrong, they make great music.  I’ve just always felt like their music was never that inspired to be different…their music was always safe.  There’s solace in taking the safe road.  You don’t risk losing it all…but you’re never going to make it big either.  Finally, this record, BOH sounds like their tired of living quietly in everyone else’s shadow and are ready to rock.  The first song on the new album is bigger, braver, louder, ballsier than anything else they’ve ever done.  If this new sound loses some long time fans…then fuck em…they were never true fans to begin with because BOH is ready to hit their stride.  You’re either with them or you can go buy the new Kelly Clarkson.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Band of Horses:

1. Wicked Gil (Everything All the Time)
2. Cigarettes, Wedding Bands (Cease To Begin)
3. Laredo (Infinite Arms)
4. Is There A Ghost (Cease To Begin)
5. Infinite Arms (Infinite Arms)
6. Our Swords (Everything All the Time)
7. Weed Party (Everything All the Time)
8. Dilly (Infinite Arms)
9. The Great Salt Lake (Everything All the Time)
10. Detlef Schrempf (Cease To Begin)
11. The End Is Not Near (The OC mix 6)