CONSIDER THE BIRDS

On the eve of his now-former band 16 Horsepower’s breakup, David Eugene Edwards released his third studio album under the name Woven Hand and embarked on a European tour. This album is quite a bit closer to Woven Hand’s debut – stark, foreboding music with poetic lyrics that seem to preach without actually condemning.

Edwards appears to have largely abandoned his banjola and mandolin for acoustic (and sometimes electric) guitar; and has also enlisted the help of some of his occasional live act accompaniment. Slim Cessna's Auto Club drummer Ordy Garrison and bassist Shane Trost, and Lilium keyboardist Daniel McMahon fill out the lineup, and Garrison would accompany Edwards on the supporting European tour over the winter of 2004.

The key traits of Woven Hand’s first album are all here again: brooding lyrics that matter-of-factly point to the Cross while at the same time wallow in the barrenness that is Edwards’ view of humanity; heavy bass and plodding drums; and strategically placed drone, piano and sound effects.

A few of these tracks have apparently become staples in the act’s play list: “Bleary Eyed Duty”, “The Speaking Hands” and “To Make a Ring” are liberally sprinkled across the internet in the form of live choppy videos destined for youTube.

Edwards manages to elicit the same sense of barely-controlled sanity akin to David Bowie circa ‘Low’ or ‘Scary Monsters’ on tracks like “Bleary Eyed Duty” and “Oil on Panel”, while others like “”Off the Cuff” and “”Into the Piano” are barely perceptible works that teeter on the edge of despair with confusing lyrics that either point the lost to the Savior or lament the hopelessness of The Struggle, depending on your perspective.

“Tin Finger” is the closest the group comes to the hillbilly folk sound of the last couple of 16 Horsepower albums and the Woven Hand debut, with Edwards picking away on his banjola and whispering, unintelligible voices evoking the mood of the Garden of Gethsemane scene from ‘The Passion of the Christ’. Creepy stuff.

I haven’t quite come to a position on my feelings for Edwards’ lyrical messages and their relevance to his listeners, but the raw emotions induced by his music is rich fodder for contemplation regardless. The novelty of his sound has somewhat worn off by this third album, but Edwards manages to introduce new sounds that seem inspired by Eastern European folk solemnity and any number of road-weary post rockers. This is an excellent album for the most part, although I would have enjoyed a little more eclectic use of instrumentation like Woven Hand’s first album featured. No matter, I’ll go with four stars for ‘Consider the Birds’ and recommend this music to just about any prog or folk music fan.

peace