Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

The new album by Colorado rockers Wovenhand - fronted by David Eugene Edwards with all the dramatic vocal flair of Scott Walker and Nick Cave - has understandably received rave reviews since its release. Titled 'Star Treatment' thanks to Edwards' desire to explore humanity's fascination with the night sky, there's a global feel to proceedings with Native American leanings in the thundering opener "Come Brave" standing next to the Eastern-tinged "Crook And Flail" whilst Edwards' Christian faith seeps through - albeit in now trademark cryptic fashion - in the lyrics of "The Hired Hand". Perhaps not as consistently heavy as previous outings, the band have chosen to drop the pace a little and include a handful of acoustic instruments to help them conjure up a brooding, ancient and predominantly dark feel to proceedings. Heavier moments like the profoundly abstract "Swaying Reed" will satisfy longstanding Wovenhand fans though whilst "The Quiver" - a rambling epic with more than just a hint of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" - is the icing on the cake of yet another stunning and, at times, baffling release from Edwards and crew.

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