After spending the last six ears releasing records via indie legends Sub Pop to minor acclaim, it would seem that South Carolina's Band of Horses are ready to join the big league, if their major label debut 'Infinite Arms' is anything to go by. Everything about this album is huge. Huge melodies, huge production, and, quite tellingly, huge ambitions. calling to mind Rumors-era Fleetwood Mac or a more tuneful Cave Singers, Band of Horses' triumphant third album could very well see them fill the gap left by fellow country-tinged hook merchants Kings of Leon and you'd have to be a particularly cold-hearted person not to fall in love with instant classics like 'Way Back Home' or 'Compliments.'
And while some of the hardcore fans may be turned off by their soon-to-blossom relationship with mainstream radio, it's their loss really as the swooning strings of 'Factory' or the southern friend 'Evening Kitchen' deserve to be heard by everyone. Yes, their sound has softened somewhat and perhaps isn't as biting as before, but I'll trade warm, whiskey-fueled melodies for awkward cynicism any day of the week. If their upcoming live shows are half as good as their new record, then the rest of 2010 is theirs for the taking.