CONSIDER THE BIRDS

Third studio album from this side project of 16 HP, but by now most likely DEE's main occupation, and this one seems to be more in the mould of the debut album, rather than the "special project" of Blush Music. By this time, 16 HP was history or almost and clearly DEE was saving his best for this "offshoot" project. In some ways, this album is more of a full group effort of sorts, as three of the eight tracks would indicate, while the other half sees DEE playing most of the instruments himself. I'd like to take the readers back to the first paragraphs of my review of WH's Blush Music, to clear some possible confusion between the terms of folk and country.

The album starts strongly enough with two group efforts, the enthralling (almost enthusiasting) Sparrow Falls and the much sombre Bleary Eyed Duty and later on Speaking Hands are probably the centrepieces on which the album was built, but neither are very representative of the album. To Make A Ring introduces drones-a-go-go and a violin and bathes into a slightly mid-Eastern ambiance, while Oil On Panel manages a rather positive atmosphere (at least musically), but that's about it in terms of quality as the rest of the albums basks and stews in its own putrefaction, fed by DEE's insane and insalubrious religious molasses, that should better be kept quiet, rather than sprawled over a disc.

Off the Cuff is a rather difficult and disjointed no-sense track to "get" and is probably bringing its share of critics on the album as a whole, due to its central positioning in the track list. The following Chest Of Drawers basks in its insignificance and fails to produce the slightest hint of interest, while Tin Forest sounds like just another Banjo tune, something that he's done better on other albums. The album ends on the eerie but thankfully short Into The Piano, which is almost unbearable in its despair, but doesn't come close to Rock Bottom in terms of credibility.

Consider the Birds is certainly not Woven Hand's better album, actually it seems like a very confused affair, caught between the debut album (not supposed to be a multi-album project) and the post rock tricks and deeds picked up on Blush Music, but fails to capitalize on it the way the following album Mosaic will. In defence of this album, one might say that this might be a more personal album, but I think that every album of DEE is incredibly personal, and this one not any more than others, just a much lesser one. Your call, but I'll pass on it.

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