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THE REVIEW
The DENVER trio is one of the hidden gems of the '90s. In about 10 years of their career, they managed to rediscover the primordial energy of music, just like the VIOLENT FEMMES did. Like them, they draw on a acoustic, sparse, and minimal sound, with the difference of combining these sounds with the noir atmospheres of JOY DIVISION and GUN CLUB.
So, it's dark, melancholic music, with the banjo and accordions in the foreground, supported by a deep bass, ideal instruments for music that seems to feed on the darkest side of rural America's tradition, all enhanced by David Edwards' voice which excellently recreates funereal tones à la Nick Cave, often approaching the ghost of J.L. Pierce.
This is the debut album from '96, with the participation of Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) on violin. It's a haunting album in its beauty, starting with the country-punk rides of Black soul chair, Haw, and Black bush; captivating in its slower moments, like in the folk of Ruthie lingle with the violin in the foreground, beautiful are the intersections of accordion and bass in Harm's way.
A band to rediscover that deserved much more attention, music that you may or may not like, but that does not leave you indifferent.
David Eugene Edwards: vocals, banjo, piano, guitar.
Jean-Yves Tola: drums.
Keven Soll: bass.
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Summary by Bot
16 Horsepower's debut album 'Sackcloth 'n' Ashes' is a dark, melancholic masterpiece blending acoustic, country punk, and gothic influences. The Denver trio combines banjo, accordion, deep bass, and haunting vocals to evoke rural American traditions with a noir twist. Featuring violin by Gordon Gano, the album offers both energetic and introspective moments. This hidden gem deserves more recognition for its unique, timeless sound.
16 Horsepower
16 Horsepower were an American band from Denver led by David Eugene Edwards. Active from 1992 to 2005, they fused alt-country and folk rock with dark, devotional themes and traditional material across four studio albums and several live/archival releases.05 Reviews
Other reviews
By MorgueOfAbsinth
"Edwards is a wayward root of the American song tree, with immense talent for writing epic, ancient songs."
"'Black Soul Choir' is the ultimate masterpiece, a face torn by the devouring awareness that Evil has forces superior to those of Good."
