Typically, when a band release an acoustic album, the music is stripped down, raw, intimate, and small. Band Of Horses’ latest release Acoustic At The Ryman is just that – with the exception of ‘small’.
The sound is overwhelmingly rich and driven by powerful harmonies, sweet melodies, and beautiful lyrics.
A 10-track trip through the band’s back catalogue, the recording comprises of some of the group’s best songs, including favourites ‘The Funeral’, ‘No One’s Gonna Love You’, and ‘Marry Song’. Rather than sounding like worn-out numbers played over and over, these acoustic versions breathe new life into the music.
Recorded on the historic Nashville stage, the Ryman Auditorium, the acoustic versions translate to media without losing the atmosphere of a live set. In fact, if you closed your eyes, it wouldn’t be hard to picture being in that very audience.
A piano solo and haunting vocals make ‘The Funeral’ the standout track from this collection, and if the applause heard at the end is anything to go by, the audience certainly had that same feeling. The gig experience somehow translates to the recording – a feat that a lot of artists find difficult to achieve on live albums.
With a sea of acoustic LPs being released, it’s becoming harder for any to stand out. Acoustic At The Ryman, however, is one of the best in recent memory.
Listen to ‘Neighbor’ from Acoustic At The Ryman here:
