Neutral ground

Band of Horses' relatable sound sells out La Zona Rosa

By Erik Adams
Published: February 5th, 2008 | 5:02pm

February 3, 2008, in Austin — Band of Horses is one of those acts that seems to inspire equally virulent strains of acclaim and criticism. This being the age of instant fame and instant argument, several groups of this ilk — Vampire Weekend leaps to mind — have emerged since the release of Band of Horses’ breakthrough 2006 debut, Everything All the Time (Sub Pop), but the South Carolina boys with the equine name have hung on to their formidable cult, a significant portion of which was shoehorned into a sold-out La Zona Rosa Sunday night.

If the debate over Band of Horses were World War II, I’d represent Sweden — I’m neutral. My only allegiance lies with “The Funeral,” a song that, in spite of its blog-induced overexposure and unfortunate use to promote Wal-Mart, will end up as the band’s legacy (Sorry, “Is There A Ghost,” but that drum pattern just means you’ll be used for inspiring television montages. By the way, have you met my friend “Clocks”?). It’s an undeniable classic and a study in the virtues of loud-soft-loud song structure. Ben Bridwell’s vocals carry just enough emotion, while his lyrics find a space between crypticness and clarity that anyone can crawl into and call their own.

And it absolutely kills live.

Of course, anything will kill (sonically) when it’s got the heft of three effects-laden guitars behind it. And as great as “The Funeral” is, it seems like the band just uses it as a template for their particular take on stadium rock for 1,200-capacity clubs. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like they’ve been able to use said template to create something as good as “The Funeral.”

What they do seem to have found is a way to tap right into human emotions via epic sweeps and Bridwell’s shouted-from-the-edge-of-a-cliff vocals. Apparently that ability is both creating and strengthening romantic relationships, because I saw more held hands and arms around shoulders at this show than I had ever seen at one time in a rock club.

I can’t see anyone falling in love to or with the bands who opened the show, though. Cass McCombs and the Middle Class presented a skewed take on '70s FM radio — with a rhythm section that sounded like it was barreling down some never-ending prog rock hill — and Band of Horses sideman/Jim Henson lookalike Tyler Ramsey warmed the crowd over with some leisurely-plucked but unremarkable folk.

Band of Horses is looking a little more remarkable, but my blue-and-yellow flag continues to wave. Maybe it’s because they’ve got no sense of dynamics. Maybe it’s because their spot in my heart has been clogged by Broken Social Scene. Or maybe it’s just that they’re an uber-safe middle-of-the-road guitar band that has little to offer beyond a kick-ass single and an easily relatable sound.