Reviewed by Andi Watson

The debut from Wovenhand - the impermanent aggregation fronted by David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower fame - was released in 2002. The album is rooted in archetypical American instrumentation which is blended into a thoroughly sinister mix, encapsulating the term "Southern gothic". David Eugene has no need to sacrifice melody or lyrical content and is capable of searing insight wrapped up in a hook. The album's poppiest song, "Glass Eye", contains the lines "Quick to anger, quick to speak/Afraid to lose the things not mine to keep/The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak" - the Christian battle summed up in one chorus. Although the album's many highlights are enhanced by the unusual instrumentation and wonderful melodies, the consistent attention grabber are the lyrics. Edwards makes his intentions clear from the beginning, the album opening with the line "I am nothing without his ghost within." The 10 songs on 'Wovenhand' are concerned with the battlefield that lies between our lives on Earth and our future in Heaven. Edwards is a reluctant pilgrim, all too aware of his own shortcomings. He realises better than most that the Christian life is a constant struggle and he knows with what weapons he must fight, yet he doubts his dedication - "I must push on in prayer and take it by force/Though you've said it, you say it better/With more conviction than I." You could say this was a country album for people who don't like country music, or even a Christian album for people who don't like Christian music. However you want to classify 'Wovenhand', this is music for the heart and the soul.

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