Things Are Great
by Band of Horses
  • Record Label: BMG
  • Release Date: Mar 4, 2022
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Glide Magazine
    Mar 7, 2022
    80
    While lyrically Bridwell is struggling during these tough times, musically he has rebounded and that combo works; Things Are Great proves Band of Horses has a lot left in the tank.
  2. AllMusic
    Mar 4, 2022
    80
    Stripped of some of their later sonic ambitions, Band of Horses play to their strengths here on what feels like a solid return to form.
  3. The Line of Best Fit
    Mar 3, 2022
    80
    Things Are Great is certainly a return to their best form, and it shows signs of the band entering a new golden era with the next one. Just hope it’s not another six years in the making.
  5. Classic Rock Magazine
    Jan 18, 2022
    80
    The result is a minor wonder of wit, weight and emotion - the Horses back to full gallop. [Feb 2022, p.82]
  6. Mojo
    Jan 18, 2022
    80
    Easily Band Of horses' best LP in over a decade. [Feb 2022, p.86]
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  7. Uncut
    Jan 18, 2022
    80
    From the electrifying first few minutes of Things Are Great, it's evident that Bridwell is revitalised. [Feb 2022, p.25]
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  8. Record Collector
    Jan 18, 2022
    80
    Between the weather-worn blues reflections of Hard Times and the euphoric lift of closer Coalinga, the sense emerges of a band rediscovering their footing, a little saddle-sore but riding tall once more.
  9. Paste Magazine
    Mar 4, 2022
    78
    This is probably the best Band of Horses album in 12 or maybe 15 years, after all—but when longtime fans listen to “Lights,” they’ll almost certainly hear echoes of “Weed Party,” a song from the band’s debut album.
  10. Under The Radar
    Feb 4, 2022
    75
    Things Are Great is Band Of Horses' most intimate outing in over a decade, its plainspoken sincerity and artistic intensity keeping it consistently affecting. [Dec 2021 - Feb 2022, p.150]
  11. Pitchfork
    Mar 8, 2022
    73
    Things Are Great’s melodies are so breezy, its guitars so giddy with uplift, that these songs sound carefree in spite of their subject matter. It helps, too, that Bridwell often disarms his lyrics with gentle whimsy.
  12. Rolling Stone
    Mar 10, 2022
    70
    Can sometimes seem too mellow, but they sound refreshed. [Mar 2022, p.71]
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  13. Clash Music
    Mar 8, 2022
    70
    As they create their most on-their-terms album to date, Band of Horses manage to lift a weight from your shoulders you perhaps didn’t know was there.
  14. DIY Magazine
    Mar 2, 2022
    70
    An extended gap since their last full-length outing has resulted in their sharpest raft of material since ‘Cease to Begin’.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Slowave
    Mar 5, 2022
    9
    While not quite reaching the heights of Funeral or Salt Lake, it comes as close as one could hope and the album is easily their mostWhile not quite reaching the heights of Funeral or Salt Lake, it comes as close as one could hope and the album is easily their most consistent effort from start to finish, capturing the identity they lost after their sophomore album. Sonically majestic while holding on to the folksy Nashvillian twang that separates them from the rest of their indie counterparts, Bidwelll finally ties together the true BoH sound almost as a long overdue act of fan service. Excellent and accessible and sure to invite a new generation of fans.… Full Review »
  2. wftmy
    Mar 4, 2022
    8
    A return to form for a band that has struggled to reach the heights of their first few albums. Ben Bridwell is at his best when let loose toA return to form for a band that has struggled to reach the heights of their first few albums. Ben Bridwell is at his best when let loose to pour his soul out into his lyrics, clearly evident in Warning Signs and Tragedy of the Commons.

    No songs quite seem to hit that raw intensity present in Everything All The Time and Cease To Begin, but some of this is due to its production – I have no doubt that live performances will unleash unbridled vehemence.

    Overall, Things Are Great adds many welcome additions to the band's repertoire.

    It's been a long six-year wait, but worth it.    … Full Review »
  3. highballslider
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    They can do no wrong, I can put this album on and just let it repeat, so calming and peaceful.
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