band of horses - "the funeral" (from the everything all the time lp, available for purchase here.)

in brief : b/c even indie kids want to hold their lighters aloft some of the time.

band of horses is obvious. it's not like, oh, watching chris daughtry singing "i walk the line," poised on the edge of your seat, ready to hit the air-crash-cymbal to signal when the emoting and histrionics should begin--that's bad obvious. band of horses is more like u2 or coldplay being obvious, but when they're at their obvious best.

"the funeral" throughout, moving from valleys to higher and higher peaks, is like opening of "yellow," when the acoustic gives way to that great chugging riff and one inevitably breaks out his or her air-guitar. the emphasis is clearly on guitars here : it's a bit like crazy horse or built to spill w/o the solos, or a shoegazing act w/o the effects pedals. these guitars, too, are immaculately recorded; there isn't a lot more going on apart from chords being struck, but, yes, it is striking.

moving, too. the vocals on the chorus, piercing like perry farrell or early sting (or jim james of my morning jacket if one's sensibilities are offended), go, "on every occasion, i'll be ready for the funeral." it's a good way to go out, if one must, but band of horses has only just begun.