Infinitely comfortable music

Band of Horses has always been a summer band, famous for tunes that go well with a tattered couch, a porch and a sunny day. You might as well grab a beer, because “Infinite Arms” offers more of the same.

Aided again by producer Phil Ek, the Seattle-based Horses stays mostly in its comfort zone. Ek provides the same bright, warm sheen that has also benefited groups like Fleet Foxes and The Shins, and band leader Ben Bridwell’s tuneful voice is once again an instrument unto itself. 

While Band of Horses has had difficulty keeping a steady lineup, they clearly retain the magic that gave 2005’s “Everything All the Time” and 2007’s “Cease to Begin” the kind of crossover success that few expected. 

At this point in their career, no one should be expecting Band of Horses to break any sonic barriers, but that has long been its appeal — albums that feel worn-in from the first moment you hear them. Like the tattered couch on the porch, “Infinite Arms” is comfortable, safe and inviting.