16 Horsepower Low Estate A&M Records

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Give the son of a son of a preacherman a banjo and an accordian, and he just might kick up his heels and sing a song about God. On the relatively barren Denver musical frontier, singer David Eugene Edwards does just that with all the passion of a rebellious teenager as he leads Sixteen Horsepower in a restless pursuit of his own manifest destiny, framing a sound straight out of the 18th century in a modern day angst ridden twang. The band rides through town like a group of dusty bankrobbers robed in clown costumes and armed with antique musical instruments. Somehow, though all the heavy bluegrass twang, they simultaneously fulfill and challenge expectations of music thematically centered around Christianity. Joining up with producer John Parish (PJ Harvey), the original band members include jazz trained percussionist Jean-Yves Tola and Edwards on vocals. The sophomore effort reunites Edwards with some former bandmates in bassist Pascal Humbert and strings player Jeffery Paul Norlander. After recruiting a strong following through several major European music festivals, the new disc has already outsold its predecessor overseas. Low Estate, borrowing a biblical title from the garden of earthly delights, emphasizes themes of power and retribution which tend to saturate the lyrics with a foreboding gothic gloom. On opening track "Brimstone Rock," Edwards moans, "That little Jesus freak needs a good ass clockin," before wishing he was a "bible thumping fool" on the ironically pious "My Narrow Mind." Sixteen Horsepower is a band full of sinful retribution, searching for the answers to Christianity's inherent ambiguities. It fails to meet the Christian rock market though, and for all its piousness, the conservative coalition would never embrace Edwards' harsh treatment of his own religious confusion. The alternative bluegrass twang creates an eery resonance. Irritating at times, Edwards' nasal voice occasionally squeals like a hot kettle stuck on the hotplate of damnation. The use of myriad unconventional acoustic instruments creates a rich, flavorful sound, particularly evident on dissonant backbeat chords, almost an afterthought to the lyrical intensity. While skimming the surface of insurgent country, Sixteen Horsepower produces a sort of grungy Kentucky twang with intricate song patterns, remniscent of Tom Waits and southern roots music. -TW

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