Cease to Begin

iTunes Review

Co-founder Mat Brooke left the group, so singer Ben Bridwell relocated the group from Seattle to South Carolina for a second album that immediately improves on Everything All The Time, the band’s 2006 debut. 2007’s Cease to Begin is a melodic treasure. The tight country harmonies of “Marry Song,” the swooning ‘60s-to-‘90s shoegazer pop of “No One’s Gonna Love You” and the ominous, haunting anthemic riff of the album’s opener “Is There A Ghost” illustrate the group’s far-reaching range. Everything is pulled off without sacrificing their signature sound, which centers around a shimmering wall of guitar and vocals that find comfort bathed in swatches of reverb where Bridwell’s clear, clean tone resonates into the night sky. Their pop sense puts them in league with labelmates The Shins. “Ode to LRC” and “The General Specific” reflect an earnest pop whimsy, while “Cigarettes, Wedding Bands” aims for a wall of sound that only Bridwell can scale with his loud, commanding howl. By the album’s closer, “Window Blues,” Bridwell slows things to a gorgeous lope that politely closes out a strong showing of songwriting smarts and musical variety and firepower.