Beside the epic first track (Is There a Ghost), the latest Band of Horses release proves to be a bumpy second album. Fans of Everything All the Time will notice a much more subtler and reserved tone on Cease to Begin, as none of the songs travel into that stratospheric, echoed territory that touched most of their previous album. What is most disappointing about this is that, despite the shift in tone, the new songs still follow the band’s old formula, essentially making them less interesting versions of what you’ve already heard. There are even some downright misses in this bunch (Marry Song, Window Blues).

A snooty blogger might suggest they have titled the record Everything All the Time B-Sides, whereas a nicer, more compassionate one would simply consider this a mistep in what is hopefully a great musical career. Plus, that first song is just so epic!

[mp3] Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost