Band of Horses Come Off Stilted & Forced On ‘Why Are You Ok’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

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bandofhorseslpWhy Are You Ok, the fifth studio album from amiable South Carolina rockers, Band of Horses arrives with a bit of a fresh step. In as producer is erstwhile Grandaddy frontman, Jason Lytle, both a longtime friend of BoH’ singer Ben Bridwell, and a sharp aural detour from the likes of Glyn Johns and others who have helmed the controls over the band’s previous output. The ho-hum nature of BoH’ last album, 2012’s Mirage Rock, apparently brought upon a sense of change. The feeling of stasis was apparently in the air, and rather than make a lineup change or radically going back to the drawing board, Lytle’s involvement seemingly answered the calls for renewal.

His presence is evident right from the get-go as the album veers a bit from Band of Horses’ southern rock template into the quirky rhythms favored by Grandaddy. Things begin accordingly and ambitiously with a seven-minute track, “Dull Times/Moon” that rather than jam out festival-style instead drones away along a prog-inflected electronic twist. Bridwell’s warm and inviting vocals stamp the song as a uniquely Band of Horses product, but as things turn sharply upward around the 4:30 mark, there’s a forward jolt of adrenaline that was sadly missing from the band’s prior album.

Band of Horses does sentimentality well-“The Great Salt Lake”, “Funeral”, and “On My Way Back Home”-successfully marry Bridwell’s passion with the appropriate amount of musical dynamics. What those songs-and a good portion of the band’s back catalog- also have, though, is some personality. Soaring anthemic choruses and sharply ripped guitar solos merged effortlessly with soulful keys and a rousing rhythm section. When it works, it’s a sound of joy. When it doesn’t, it falls flat and feels stilted and forced.

Unfortunately, stilted and forced are words that describe much of the proceedings here. Failing to capitalize off of the intriguing intro, the band launches next into a pair of maudlin mid-tempo ballads that linger and stall over sleepy arrangements. Following that, the album’s lead single, “Casual Party” brings some momentum back into the picture, but basically serves as a rewrite of their earlier hit, “Weed Party”, minus all of the spontaneous fun. Whereas “Weed Party” was the sound of a dude rebelliously blowing off a day’s worth of responsibility in search of harmless trouble, its’ updated narrator possesses all the danger of a dad staying up too late watching Netflix on the couch.

Speaking of dads, that’s Bridwell’s main gig now. He says this album was crafted over many late nights as he carved out some alone time from parenting his four daughters. That’s an awesome story, and one that should be certainly applauded. (It’s also celebrated on the endearing video for “Whatever, Whenever”, one of the album’s strongest tracks. Watch the video and try to get through with dry eyes.)

Part of the band’s appeal is their Everyman sensibilities. They’re family guys and folks that would be awesome to have as neighbors. Things just would have been a lot more exciting if Bridwell could’ve channeled some darker and nervier energy into his songwriting this time around. There’s a lot he seems to want to convey-“In A Drawer” (featuring a cool J Mascis cameo) and the lovely “Barrel House” both seem to be expressing Bridwell’s fatherly wishes for nostalgia and for current moments to slow down-but he does so in such a languid manner that the sounds all begin to bleed together. As the album title suggests, he’s looking for something, whether it be confidence, acceptance, or harmony. His appeals to domesticity and love are nice but aren’t quite convincing. There’s a little something more that he seems to want to say and a little of that contrast could have done wonders to break up the placidity of the album’s content.

Sonically, Lytle’s production does the band few favors as his electronic blips, voicemail messages, and drum machines, tend to distract from rather than add to the arrangements. The remainder of the band-bassist Bill Reynolds, guitarist Tyler Ramsey, keyboardist Ryan Monroe, and drummer Creighton Barrett-are left with little room to flourish.

Why Are You Okay? is an album, that despite some potential attempts, never truly wakes up. Sadly, that also makes it a bit of a chore to get through. Aiming high and bringing in Lytle’s fresh perspective was well-intentioned and long-needed, but collaborations still need interesting songs to succeed. There just aren’t too many here. Instead, the partnership fails to capitalize on the possibilities, offering just a pallid appetizer of what instead could have been a memorable entrée.

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