Singing Bones

The Handsome Family's unique take on traditionalist country finds another fine platform on 2003's Singing Bones. Husband-and-wife team Brett and Rennie Sparks explore dusty, melancholic territory — both musically and lyrically — by combining a taste for rootsy, old-school country (for which Brett's resonant baritone is perfectly suited) with literate, evocative, image-rich lyrics. Singing Bones finds all these qualities in place. Scenes and characters float through vividly drawn settings ("24-Hour Store," "Whitehaven"), while the instrumentation, arrangements, and ambience conjure dark forests and backwoods ghosts. As old-world as the Handsome Family might seem, there is an incisive, contemporary sensibility to everything, from the gleaming production to the perfectly chosen words. Singing Bones once again proves again how the group can seamlessly bridge the gap between present and past.