Recording information: Avast Studios, Seattle, WA; Echo Mountain Recording, Asheville, NC.

Photographer: Christopher Wilson.

On 2007's CEASE TO BEGIN, its second album for the venerable Sub Pop label, Band of Horses expands on the dreamy indie-rock sound of its well-received debut, EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. The product of considerable changes for the group--namely the departure of founding guitarist Mat Brooke and relocation from Seattle, Washington to Charleston, South Carolina--BEGIN solidifies singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell's status as the central creative force behind the ensemble. Even though it does nothing to allay frequent comparisons to My Morning Jacket, the record does further Bridwell's impressive songcraft, which shines on the chiming, widescreen expanse of "Is There a Ghost" and the jangly acoustic vibe of "Lamb on the Lam (In the City)."

When Band of Horses surfaced in 2006 with the cathartic Everything All the Time, the band's rugged take on rock & 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 cohort 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. Cease to Begin is the responsible adult to Time's reckless teenager, with Bridwell pitting his high, clear tenor against backdrops of swirling indie rock and campfire singalongs. While tracks like "Weed Party" showed the band having harmless (albeit vaguely adolescent) fun on their debut, the good times on Cease to Begin are more grown-up: a lo-fi, foot-stomping pop ditty ("The General Specific"), a brief interlude of instrumental watercolors ("Lamb on the Lam [In the City]"), a foray into twangy country ("Marry Song"). Those looking for more anthemic rock will gravitate toward kickoff track "Is There a Ghost," where the guitars are loud and Bridwell's vocals are candy-coated in thick reverb, but Cease to Begin shines it brightest under the twilight glow of "Detlef Schrempf." 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 an appealingly 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. ~ Andrew Leahey