Band of Horses Prove a Cosmic Hit at Leeds Festival

Posted on Aug 28th 2010 3:30PM by Stephen Dowling
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It could almost be 1998 -- Band of Horses' psychedelic sweep of sound during their NME/Radio 1 Stage set on Saturday sounds at times like the lysergic symphonies of Mercury Rev at their most approachable. But no -- this is 2010, the year band of Horses have gone from cult concern to one of the year's most deserving successes.

That the tent is comfortably full shows how this year's excellent LP 'Infinite Arms' has brought them a swathe of new fans; that the songs are being sung back word-for-word shows what a great few months Ben Bridwell and company have been having.

The loping, swelling 'Factory' sounds as irresistible as it does on record, and Bridwell and team seem to be hitting the kind of stride that only a few solid month on the road brings. The chiming 'Laredo' suits the cusp-of-evening vibe perfectly -- the leaden sky might slightly ruin the summery sunset atmosphere, but the cosmic country rock chug is one of the songs of the festival so far.

The band's steady touring over the summer hasn't harmed those buttery harmonies. Ryan Monroe takes over lead vocals for 'Older,' and a more soothing sound you couldn't hope to hear. Band of Horses' brand of sweetly scuzzed-up country rock proves to be one of Leeds' understated gems.