Continuing my look at the albums of 2006…

Something was up with animal names in 2006, with this week featuring Arctic Monkeys, Cat Power, and now Band of Horses. Everything All the Time is the debut release of the Seattle-based indie rockers.

Fronted by Ben Bridwell, the band’s one consistent member over the past two decades, Band oF Horses has released a half dozen albums recorded by a shuffling lineup. This one is the best-known.

Bridwell and guitarist Mat Brooke were members of indie outfit Carissa’s Wierd before splitting off to form Band of Horses, and opted to scrap their former band’s acoustic dreaminess and go big. Most songs on this album have a wall of jangly guitars as a backdrop to Bridwell’s yearning vocals.

While I like the general atmosphere of Everything All the Time, I’m less sure about the songs. At least through one listen, I didn’t hear much to hook me. I like today’s SOTD, the opener, and first single ‘The Funeral’ has some bite. But the rest left me shrugging.

To be fair, I usually need at least a couple of listens to really appreciate a new album, but I don’t know when (or if) I’ll get around to my next listen of this one.