Taken from flickr user NRK P3
If humans were magically gifted with the ability to fly, the song playing at the time of discovery would be Band of Horses’ “The Great Salt Lake.” Before taking flight, a solid steady drumbeat pounds through the opening verse, like a runner’s- or, dare I say, a band of horses’?- feet hitting the pavement.
Lead singer Ben Bridwell is like your genius cousin who takes a genuine interest in hearing about your drunken college life- he’s an expert at what he does, yet he’s warm and he’s real. As the first verse slows and Bridwell sings, “Now if you find yourself falling apart/I’m sure I could steer on/the Great Salt Lake,” he’s not sappy, nor self-absorbed. He’s instead trustworthy and self-assured in that fleeting moment of stillness.
During that moment of stillness, you feel as if your feet are no longer hitting the ground and the only option left is to fall or to fly. And then, when the chorus’ beautiful, winding marriage of guitar and drums begins, you soar. The song never reverts back to the simplicity of the opening verse, but instead keeps you in the air. There are a few more quiet moments that return to the lyric “Now if you find yourself falling apart/I’m sure I could steer on/the Great Salt Lake,” which feel more like moments to catch your breath and rest your wings, rather than excuses to break apart the song into typical verse-chorus form.
As “The Great Salt Lake” ends with a solid 30 second breathtaking instrumental outro, you just might find yourself falling apart.
