Band of Horses

This debut LP is a 10-track wonder, changing things up with straight rockers (“The Great Salt Lake”), dynamic ballads (“Monsters”) and folk songs (“St. Augustine”) that build upon gentle melodies and culminate in fantastic crescendos. The band doesn’t stray far from the typical rock repertoire but does incorporate banjo; nylon-string and slide guitars; and the occasional hollow, delayed bass. At heart, they’re an emo-core, grunge-rock five-piece. Ben Bridwell’s vocals are wispy and vibrant, à la Ken Andrews; one might call Band of Horses a grittier, more rural (and terrestrial) version of Failure. The group’s best song is the high-profile single “The Funeral,” which begins with a quiet electric-guitar arpeggio but quickly evolves into a frenzied jam. So far, this is the best rock album of 2006.