Consider the Birds

As one third of Denver, CO, progressive country-tinged outfit 16 Horsepower, David Eugene Edwards established himself as a songwriter with a knack for injecting his dense, cryptic, and dark moods into his music, and with his second outing under his solo, side project guise, Wovenhand, Edwards continues down a similar path. For the majority of Consider the Birds, Edwards truly embraces the "solo" tag by performing every instrument, but on select tracks, such as the tensional dirge that opens the record, "Sparrow," Eugene employs a tasteful yet powerful band as a counterweight to his more blatant experimentations. It is a testament to Edwards' vision that over the course of its 40 minutes, Consider the Birds never feels schizophrenic, since the album constantly flirts with an unfocused recklessness. Drones and tom-heavy percussion abound on songs such as "Oil on Panel," and Edwards often saddles them up with fractured samples, melodies that tease dissonances, and his strong yet quavering voice. The whole concoction then circles around itself like a rickety, wooden roller coaster filled with coincidental assemblages of complementing sounds. One can't help but wonder how overwrought Edwards must be when he's practicing his music, but Consider the Birds once again affirms, no matter how emotional and extended he might be, Edwards never seems to be toting an empty heart.