{"product_id":"cease-to-begin","title":"Cease To Begin","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Band of Horses surfaced in 2006 with \u003ci\u003eEverything All the Time\u003c\/i\u003e, the band's rugged take on rock and roll drew quick parallels to My Morning Jacket and early Neil Young. That's mighty nice company for a young band, but co-founder Mat Brooke nevertheless left the lineup that same summer, choosing to blaze his own trail with Grand Archives instead. Ben Bridwell, Brooke's musical partner for nearly a decade, was left in control of Horses - a daunting position for the former Carissa's Weird bassist, but one that ultimately resulted in a sophisticated, mature, and altogether superior follow-up. \u003ci\u003eCease to Begin\u003c\/i\u003e is the responsible adult to Time's reckless teenager, with Bridwell pitting his high, clear tenor against backdrops of hazy indie rock and campfire singalongs. While tracks like \u003ci\u003eWeed Party\u003c\/i\u003e showed the band having harmless (albeit adolescent) fun on their debut, the good times on \u003ci\u003eCease to Begin\u003c\/i\u003e are more grown-up: a lo-fi, foot-stomping pop ditty (\u003ci\u003eThe General Specific\u003c\/i\u003e), a brief interlude of instrumental watercolors (\u003ci\u003eLamb on the Lam [In the City]\u003c\/i\u003e), a detour into twangy country (\u003ci\u003eMarry Song\u003c\/i\u003e). Those looking for more anthemic rock will gravitate toward kickoff track Is \u003ci\u003eThere a Ghost\u003c\/i\u003e, where the guitars are loud and Bridwell's vocals are candy-coated in reverb, but \u003ci\u003eCease to Begin\u003c\/i\u003e shines it brightest under the twilight glow of \u003ci\u003eDetlef Schrempf\u003c\/i\u003e. Historically, Schrempf was a German-born NBA basketball player with killer three-point accuracy - and while that's certainly an odd choice for a song title, it's easy to forget as drums beat a lazy rhythm beneath Bridwell's falsetto. Who knows whether he's singing to a hometown, a loved one, or his favorite member of the Seattle SuperSonics? It's still a thrilling listen, and the subtle humor hints that Band of Horses isn't growing up too quickly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Black Vinyl with Download.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP+ - Limited Coloured Vinyl with Download.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sub Pop","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50448180183371,"sku":"288890","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50448182346059,"sku":"1001950","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50448181133643,"sku":"288891","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50448184475979,"sku":"1029825","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a7aba429-a1bb-4440-8efd-dc3661a78882_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727087467","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/products\/cease-to-begin","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}