It takes a special skill to make candy bars, snack machines and elevators sound cinematic but that's exactly what Band Of Horses have done on 'Factory' a taster track from their third album 'Infinite Arms'. With a wash of instrumentation including a brace of trumpets, trombone, tuba and strings the track sets out its stall straight away, heading directly into epic folk ballad territory and letting the music do the talking. The first release on a major label, and the first with a full complement of musicians on deck to help out with the song-writing, it could have signaled a change in direction for the band, but fans were reassured by the typically Americana tinged soundscapes. The album also became their most successful, peaking at number seven in the US and performing well around Europe, showing that a major label release needn't necessarily lead to musical compromises. ~Martin Gadgil. Copyright (c) Shazam Entertainment Limited 2009. All rights reserved

 more