Every once in a while, I’ll go back to all those records I almost bought but opted for something else instead. Band of Horses’ debut has had a firm place in the indie rock canon since its release, but for whatever reason, I kept passing over it.

It is not an important record by any stretch, nor is it necessarily a monumental work. But it is a collection of several very good (and a few great) tracks. Band of Horses has never been better than the standouts here (The First Song, The Funeral, The Great Salt Lake), and even the weaker tracks are more forgivable than some of their later albums. The success of Everything All the Time is its balance of Neil Young inspired country and all-out rock catharsis (The First Song has some sonic similarities with dream metal supergroup Palms). Our Swords starts with a rootsy bass line laden with slapback echo that implies boot-stomping country. Instead, it’s paired with glassy lead guitar and post-punky angular drum beats. For all of their southern tendencies, they rarely swing the beat, wisely allowing the band to swell without feeling like Skynard. The result is an album that has far outlasted many of its Pitchfork-designated Best New Music contemporaries. And as for me, I’m glad to have finally gone through with buying it.