Sunday 24/02/08 Band Of Horses @ Academy 2, Manchester

It may be a tepid Sunday evening but checked shirt’s and trucker caps galore fill Manchester’s Academy 2 tonight as South Carolina cum Seattle rockers Band of Horses return. Currently touring on the back of the release of their second album, the much lauded ‘Cease to Begin', Band Of Horses have got the elbows to the walls tonight. 

Alt-country meets anthemic, tumbling pop may just beat the weekend hangover that seems to have kicked in early as they begin with the cascading guitars and haunting melodies of the lead single from their latest release, ‘Is There a Ghost’. It’s clear to see the band are on top form; all smiles and tattoo’s and clearly enjoying their music. Talking is left to a minimum as BOH launch into ‘Island On The Coast’, full of passionate cries and rising octaves, quickly followed by uber-hit, ‘The Great Salt Lake’.  Each is greeted by a rising murmur of appreciation as the audience realise that the perfect cure to a hangover is catching a band that won’t be staying in venues this size for long. “You guys are quiet tonight,” Ben remarks, but you get the impression that BOH couldn’t really give a damn before they decide to fight fire with fire and crank the volume up another few decibels. Band Of horses can certainly make some noise, the ballads are loud and the melodious, mid tempo pop tracks are near fatal. ‘Weed Party’ shows it’s not overdone though, instead BOH use their volume to its full potential, the atmosphere’s now about as close to a hootenanny as your ever likely to see in Manchester.

The band change instruments throughout - banjo’s, organs, pianos and even a little tambourine come and go infrequently until they strip things down for a cover of  J.J. Cale's ‘13 Days’. Nothing can suppress the party atmosphere now and suddenly Monday morning seems like another seventy two hours away. There’s a collective cheer of appreciation as we’re treated to an uplifting ‘No One’s Gonna Love You’, the first bars filtering in after an impromptu jam from Ryan Monroe, who takes the vocals shortly after on new song, ‘Older’. But first Band Of Horses unleash ‘Funeral’ which sees them at there impassioned best. Bridwell’s vocals are at full force, his cry that, “At every occasion I'll be ready for a funeral” leaves the audience wondering why anyone would want to deny another the experience. 

After a quick confession from Bridwell that BOH will soon be back for an encore, they return with the raucous ‘General Specific’, n which Monroe impresses again with a rowdy piano solo. But inevitably the thought of Monday morning returns as we realize that BOH are leaving, but the audience emerges into the same Sunday evening with a vigor that suggests a little Band of Horses might go a long way.