Folklore

This has definitely got to be my favorite so far, by 16 Horsepower. Like one reviewer said, it's more subtle than their earlier work. A former friend turned me on to them, and I was lucky enough to see them live before they broke up. They are just as fantastic live. And at the time I'd really only heard a limited few songs of theirs. I am neither christian, nor from the South or the West- but something about David Eugene Edwards is that the sincerity and rootedness of his faith in God shines through on their songs...it rather comforts me. He's not Religious, he's Spiritual.Probably "Outlaw", "Blessed Persistance" and "Sinnerman" stand out the most for me.My next favorite cd of theirs is "Low Estate". After I write this interview I plan on purchasing "Secret South".What I was a little less keen on, though the two songs are funny in a bar boozing, yet tongue in cheek way, are the cuts, "Single Girl" and "La Robe a Parasol"....they are two songs that are COMPLETEY different from anything else on the album. I don't mind them but still my favorites are the other songs!btw- comparisons to Nick Cave do 16 Horsepower no justice. They are simply better than he is. More positive and life affirming. That Nick Cave is a troubled man shows through in his work. I don't get that same vibe from David Eugene Edwards at all. And sticking a descriptor of "gothabilly" to 16 Horsepower is just wrong as well. Personally I don't care for any "-abillys" except The Cramps. 16 Horsepower is really an entity unto itself that just has to be heard to be believed! If they were around when "Night of the Hunter" (movie-original version starring Robert Mitchum) first came out they would've done a great as soundtrack music for it.

I bought this to replace my old one which somehow got a scratch and wouldn't track a couple songs.

Great service, great product.

Great album. I'm not going to go through each track and tediously ramble on. If you like this band it's a cd that you need to have. Fans of this band know that each album they've released has it's own identity, it's own sound - no two albums exactly alike. They are artists, each album is a separate piece, unique and should be judged on it's own. I have never been disappointed by this band and enjoy the varied eclectic nature of it's sound and creativity. This one is a favorite.

Such a great album! Worth every penny :-)

In the wake of rumors of their imminent demise, the members of Sixteen Horsepower have produced what is perhaps their most compelling work to date. But don't buy this disc expecting to hear a progressive new sound from these gothabilly songsters. Rather join them for an often-harrowing trip across Appalachia and Europe visiting backwoods cabins and barren countrysides searching out their musical and cultural roots.David Eugene Edwards, Pascal Humbert and Jean Yves Tola have crafted a complex and powerful homage of sorts to their progenitors. We witness how such musical influences as Hank Williams, The Carter Family and a fistfull of traditional folksongs have taken root in their fertile psyches and then blossomed into these ten songs, both beautiful and distressing to behold.Taking a step back from the highly polished sound of their last group effort, "Secret South," "Folklore" is in a way their least accessible work to date, but inaccessibility has never frightened their truest fans. The songs with few exceptions master the brooding drone that has marked this band a unique and precious find among so many unremarkable efforts.These songs are dark, among their darkest. A friend of mine once described 16hp's work (disparagingly I fear) as "music to contemplate a coffin by." At points during "Folklore" he might have not been too far off the mark. "Horse Head Fiddle" is so mist-shrouded and ethereal that one can hear the spirits of Tom Waits, Ry Cooder and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan hovering in the carefully layered rhythms and drones. But we are here to witness influences and to welcome old friends.This highly textured musicscape is at once triumphant and windswept. Far from the charming bluegrass-cum-rockabilly numbers of their past, the overall effect on "Folklore" is unsettling and unfamiliar. As in the past I found myself straining to distinguish the curious sound of a particular instrument, saying "What is that?" The sparse instrumentation, yet full of surprises and delights, lends a mood of general creepiness.The opening lament, "Hutterite Mile," prepares us for a lonely journey through dark nights of introspection, struggle and regret. The driven "Sinnerman" is one of the clearest connections with their own history-an apocalyptic, darkly spiritual invocation.Yet, the most memorable moments come in "Outlaw Song." David gives what might be his most remarkable vocal performance to date. He even seems to whinny at a crucial moment of this narrative piece, a traditional Hungarian folksong about a mystical horse and his death-defying rider. Again the instrumentation, while stark, is gripping and deeply affective.I have a more complete review on my homepage. Just follow the links.

16 Horsepower are a tragically overlooked band, fronted by the eccentric yet undoubtedly talented David Eugene Edwards (also of Woven Hand). The band play a dark, brooding style of country music. If you see the word 'country' and are instantly thinking of hillbilly music and cowboys, 16 Horsepower will completely change that notion. The subject is dark - man's sins and downfall, societies lack of faith, wallowing in a world of superficial possessions... all engulfed in harrowing soundscapes of `eerie' banjos and a rather pounding low-end. This is not for the faint of heart.Standout tracks include the menacing opener 'Hutterite Mile', a slow paced chilling opener that sets the tone perfectly. The same style is ensued in my personal favourite `Blessed Persistence', brooding, slow paced bass lines and desolate guitars surround Edwards' bleak lyrics. `Sinnerman' and `Beyone The Pale' also follow this style. `Outlaw Song' is very worthy of note for its difference, standing out from the overall gloomy atmosphere with its somewhat upbeat feel, despite the lyrics telling a rather violent narrative.16 Horsepower really should get more recognition as they are a tremendous act, really engulfing and thought provoking, this is music to be savoured.

Best from 16 horsepower, a more relax and slow down goth country mood then before. my absolutely fav.

If you see '16 Horsepower' or 'Wovenhand' on a CD cover, expect me to give it five stars.This is dark, edgy, scary country folk music. Imagine stripped-down barnraisin' American country music given the intensity and savagery of Nick Cave, Swans or even Neurosis. Simultaneously beautiful and terrifying.

One of the best albums i have heard, and have also purchased other albums by this band, but i feel this album stands out from the others.

This band is new to me, and this album is great. So simple, and yet so good. You must try this one.

It's an excellent album! There are a number of great songs that are well worth listening to. Pleasant surprise to me.