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Cease To Begin, doesn't deviate much from its excellent 2006 debut, "Everything All The Time," the record's relaxed, understated grace is distinctively Southern in its lack of self-consciousness.
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When Cease To Begin rocks out it's euphoric, but there's a mournfulness shadowing each of these insistent melodies that will have you crying even as you smile.
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"No revelations in the water, no tears into the booze," Bridwell imparts in closer 'Window Blues,' but Band of Horses keeps demonstrating both.
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The natural maturation of Ben Bridwell's vocals and songwriting, bolstered by an increase in creative control, has yeilded what is easily one of 2007's best albums in Cease to Begin.
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A sophisticated, mature, and altogether superior follow-up.
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Cease punctuates its magnitude among Sub Pop's top-drawer power elite (The Shins and Iron & Wine), asserting this Band of Horses' fast-rising run for the roses.
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Even the loudest moments reverberate with warmth. Bridwell sounds determined to build a new world for himself, one gorgeous ballad at a time.
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Instrumentally, subtle use of synths, keyboards and strings now embellish the sharp arrangements and add a new, more mature, depth to the bands sound.
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The result is a uniformly pleasant selection of peaceful, easy feelings that wouldn't sound out of place sandwiched between the similarly smooth tunes of Loggins & Messina, America, Gerry Rafferty and, yes, Christopher Cross.
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Cease to Begin, an album that is deceptively risky in its textured composition and laid-bare emotions. And those subtle risks payoff in a big way, making for one of the great rock records of 2007.
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It leaves one pondering why more bands don't move to the countryside, if it produces such delicious melancholy.
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Under The RadarBand of Horses do not Cease to amaze with their progression and growth evinced on their outstanding second record. [Fall 2007, p.72]
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Cease To Begin is the second album by this trio from the foothills of the Appalachian mountains and, with angel-voiced lead singer Ben Bridwell at the fore, it's a delightfully soothing record.
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SpinEach sound lingers, and each stretched-out moment is welcome. [Nov 2007, p.114]
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Band Of Horses have hit upon an endearing sound by taking their experiences and whipping them up with a variety of styles and influences that are creatively transformed into a unique and cohesive album filled with energetic, emotional and enjoyable indie-rock.
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MagnetCease To Begin is a fine, fitting return to familiar ground. [Fall 2007, p.91]
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Q MagazineFrom the anthem-like 'Ode To LRC to the sanguine finale of 'Window Blues,' this is beautifully paced and utterly beguiling. [Dec 2007, p.112]
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Even if Cease to Begin is a little creaky and uneven and even if it never finds the resting spot the album title promises, Band of Horses do guitar-based indie very well--well enough, at least, that the next generation of American indie bands may bear comparisons to them.
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You can write off some of Cease to Begin’s bland regionalisms as lacking in spice. But if, come midnight, Marry Song's' serpentine gospel finds home in your head, you better get up and read.
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There's much beauty in the modest moments: the gentle, dreamy guitars in the ballad 'Detlef Schrempf,' the Uncle Tupelo–ish tumble of 'The General Specific,' and the instrumental interlude of 'Lamb on the Lam (In the City),' which sounds like the Cure lost in the Appalachia.
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Cease to Begin is expertly made--the indie-rock equivalent of a box of gourmet truffles or a designer wool sweater to take the edge off a frigid day.
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My central beef with Cease to Begin is not really its lack of variety, but the fact that if it just took a few more chances it could've been great.
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Cease falters when it dips into mediocre balladry ('Detlef Schrempf,' 'Marry Song'), and at a scant 35 minutes, the album at times hints at greatness but ultimately leaves you wanting more.
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UncutIt's a sound that devotees of 'Crazy Horse' or 'My Morning Jacket' will find conspicuously pleasing, but fans of Band of Horses might just be disappointed. [Dec 2007, p.84]
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When the boys aren’t treading water, they’re still treading a fine line between memorable and anonymous.
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While it’s very good at what the Band of Horses does best--providing a soundtrack to whistful moments or memories--unlike Everything all the Time there’s nothing here to grab onto, its songs merge together, and it’s so innocuous in the band’s trademark comfort that it can pass almost undetected.
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With 10 tracks adding up to a mere 34 minutes, this follow-up is much more wan and insubstantial than its predecessor.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 44 out of 48
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Mixed: 3 out of 48
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Negative: 1 out of 48
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Aug 4, 2015
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Aug 3, 2013
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Oct 6, 2010