#6 Album of 2006

Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
[Sub Pop; Released 3/21/06]

It looks like the northwest has created yet another brilliant indie band. Everything All The Time is the debut album from the Seattle band and draws comparisons from label mates The Shins and My Morning Jacket. I guess I can see that, but Band of Horses has created their own sound, which is amazing considering there is really nothing innovative about this album. Maybe that just shows the ability of the band members to be able to create some driving, emotional tunes without reinventing the wheel. The emotion is what carries this album, and where it finds its strength. However, it is not in sappy acoustic love songs where we find this emotion, its in the guitar drenched and lush reverberating vocal ballads throughout the album. “The Funeral” is one of the best songs of the year and is one of 4 songs on this album, along with “The First Song”, “The Great Salt Lake”, and “Monsters” that I feel really put this album above others similar to it. Those songs are spread throughout the 10-track album separated by 6 songs that create an up and down emotional experience. The confidence and songwriting ability displayed by Band of Horses makes you think they’ve been at it for years, and that is what makes this debut album even more impressive.

By the way, forget that stuff I said about a tie at #6. I made some last minute changes to my top 6 that rearranged it little bit, so what I said about the reasons for a tiebreaker doesn't apply anymore.