Band of Horses: Acoustic at the Ryman is the perfect album for gazing soulfully out the window to a dark sky on a rainy day. It evokes a feeling of sweet melancholia, it has a way of making you nostalgic for a time where music was simple and genuine, where you didn’t feel accosted by blaring bass or a loose grip of the english language.

This is Band of Horses’s virtual greatest hits album. The 11 track set was recorded at a concert at the Ryman Auditorium in April of 2013 but was just recently released as an album on Feb. 11.

To pay homage to the Ryman the commonly called “mother church” of country, and former home of the Grand Ole Opry the band elected to play unplugged sticking to guitars and a piano. They showcased at least one song from every album they’ve released, highlighting the best of the best of their work. Making this album entirely unique to anything the band has done before.

The band’s lyricism was at the forefront, instead of another musical tactic such as intricate instrumental portions. Lead vocalist Ben Bridwell did a truly awe inspiring job of transitioning the songs to accommodate for the more folky sound produced by the acoustics and the atmosphere of the Ryman. Bridwell’s strong command of his vocals almost creates a different world for me to get lost in.

The blemish on this album was the fact that the song “The Funeral” was not up to par with the rest of the tracks. Bridwell’s vocals seemed just a bit strained, like he was trying to push himself through it. Which was unfortunate because this song was really what brought B.O.H into the light of the Indie/Alt Rock side of the music industry.

Just as well, a large majority of the old fans of the band came back in from the cold after the previous two albums falling short of expectations.

Overall, I believe that the entirety of the album more than makes up for any shortcomings heard on the individual tracks. In my opinion this is the style of music that Band of Horses should be doing more of, and I would be disappointed if their next release has them falling back into cookie cutter pop music. This album is a welcomed escape. I liked it enough to actually purchase it, and that is saying something.

If you want to buy the album from the iTunes store it is $8.99. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/acoustic-at-ryman-live-bonus/id775150059.

by EMILY MURBACH