16 Horsepower Albums (6)
'Live: March 2001'
Release Date 3/28/2008
Tracks 18
Label Glitterhouse
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Returning after a short leave of absence from the music industry, 16 Horsepower returns with a vengeance on Folklore. Channeling the desperation and depression of the Southern gothic movement better than most artists, they have reached a point where their music has evolved into a series of edgy Western soundscapes. This is fine, as they take traditional country instruments and utilize them to craft Bauhaus-esque doom anthems. "Single Girl" breaks the mold, sounding almost upbeat as singer David Eugene Edwards surrounds himself with layered vocals and a bouncy bass-driven tempo. And "La Robe a Parasol," the final track, is a lilting French waltz that finishes off the album with a last glimmer of hope. But for the most part, this is a bleak journey into the backwoods, an aural equivalent to Clint Eastwood's grizzled Oscar-winning Unforgiven. Like that film, this album has the same depressing resignation to a poor and unrewarding life and rarely attempts to glimpse the bright side of things. And much like that film, the whole of the album also leaves the listener relieved, acting as a cathartic view of rural depression. Although some fans may be disappointed with 16 Horsepower's move away from the frantic drive of the group's older material, this is a landmark in the subgenre of alt-country goth. It's not a new direction for 16 Horsepower, but instead the band has further refined its sound and made it even more brooding and ominous than before. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded in the band's hometown of Denver during 1998's Low Estate tour but not released until 2001, this live document of predominantly a single show is an accurate no-frills portrait of 16 Horsepower's tough goth rock attack. Mixing songs from all three of the albums they had released at the time, with rare covers from Creedence Clearwater Revival, Joy Division, and the Gun Club, lead singer/songwriter David Eugene Edwards is in fine form -- howling, moaning, and battling his demons with an almost hypnotic intensity. Even more raw and incisive than on its studio releases, the band tears into these songs with manic precision and rugged ferocity. Obviously recorded without overdubs or studio tinkering, the 50-minute show is short by today's standards. But the primal power and gut-wrenching emotion exuded on every track are not something that can be sustained over the long haul. They're not joking when they title one of their songs "Brimstone Rock"; the dark religious imagery meshes with standup bass, drums, and two guitars (with Edwards' occasional banjo and bandoneon) to create a torrent of sound. Similar to gospel, 16 Horsepower is unsettling live, where their drama and tension run thick, heavy, and uncut. The album skimps on liner notes, inexcusably omitting even the names of the band members from the package, and doesn't include a book or pamphlet. But the passionate music speaks for itself, and this is the disc you'll want after seeing 16 Horsepower tear up a stage in your town. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sin, salvation, deliverance, redemption, the Holy Spirit, divine intervention, and prayer; it's all in a day's work for 16 Horsepower singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist David Eugene Edwards. On their third album and first for indie Razor & Tie, the band works within the unique sound it has already defined. With a voice as windswept, barren, and generally spooky as the Bates Motel, Edwards unravels 11 mini-sermons with a frightening intensity and emotional edge. When he sings, the ghostly moan that emanates sounds like he's overcome by forces beyond his control. It's that creepy voice, similar to Michael Been of the Call, along with sparse but powerful instrumentation and a fire-and brimstone-lyrical slant, that separates 16 Horsepower from the rest of the alt-Americana pack. Seldom have banjos, violins, organ, and bandoneon (an old accordion that helps define the band's unique sound), let alone guitar, piano and, standup bass, seemed quite as intimidating and brooding as in the hands of this band. The songs are texturally diverse, but the dark, menacing atmosphere, especially in the stark banjo-led disc-closing "Straw Foot" and the pounding album opener "Clogger," is pervasive, giving the disc an ominous feel that rarely lets up. Their unadorned version of the traditional "Wayfaring Stranger," with Edwards singing through what sounds like a paper cup, could have come off an old Library of Congress album. Although they're working within a genre they practically define and this album doesn't push them in any radical new directions, Secret South is another worthy entry into the catalog of a band unafraid to explore the shadowy side of spiritual territory with the passion, fervor, and conviction of a backwoods preacher. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sixteen Horsepower's third album, Low Estate, finds the group at the peak of their powers, moving their hypnotic, rustic country-rock into neo-Gothic territory. Producer John Parish helps the group reach their potential, accentuating the darkness and mystery inherent in their music. There are still a few weak moments on the record, but overall, Low Estate is an impressive leap forward for Sixteen Horsepower, and album that clearly separates the band from their alt-country contemporaries. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Driven by off-kilter fiddles, a bizarre sense of humor, and punk-inflected country-rock, 16 Horsepower's second album, Sackcloth 'n' Ashes, is a weirdly captivating listen. Nearly every song is a strange, backwoods fable, delivered with clever irony that never undercuts the essential, disturbing intentions of the songs. It's not for everybody, but for alt-country fans tired of Gram Parsons homages, Sackcloth 'n' Ashes is a welcome listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
