eMusic

Start Your Trial

Folklore

by

16 Horsepower

 
Folklore
view larger image View Larger

Rate it!

Avg: 4.5 (83 ratings)

  • They 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.

  • You Say...

    I would like to say...

    Artist: 16 Horsepower

    Album: Folklore

    Review Title: (maximum 50 characters)

    Your Review: (maximum 1,000 characters)

    Cancel

    Please keep your comments to the recordings themselves, and be courteous and respectful. Thanks! For further info, read our Community Guidelines.

    Write a Review

The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.


Rolling Stone
Start Your Trial

© 1998-2008 eMusic.com Inc. eMusic and the eMusic logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks in the USA or other countries. All rights reserved.

All Music Guide © 1992 - 2008 All Media Guide, LLC
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC

YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia® are registered trademarks of their respective owners, Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Neither Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. nor Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. are partners or sponsors of eMusic. eMusic uses the Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia API but is not endorsed or certified by Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. eMusic does not pre-screen, monitor, endorse nor assume any liability for websites, contents, products, services or claims made by YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia®.