BLACK OF THE INK

David Eugene Edwards, originally from the band "16 Horsepower" has, up to the release of this book/CD, has released 6 full length albums under the moniker "Woven Hand". This release is not a "proper" album per se, as it is a reimagining of 6 previously released tracks, one track from each of the 6 albums. The CD is more of a collection or an EP. The main draw for this release is the 110-page book that features lyrics from his previous songs and some nice artwork.

As much as I like David's neo-folk music, I can't really consider this anything but a collectable item of interest mostly to fans. The music itself remains pretty much acoustic throughout, with David's unique voice and minimal instrumentation. The songs are good, but nothing special really, and as to why these particular songs were chosen I can't say, because they are not necessarily the best tracks off of the individual albums, and in reality, I like the originals better. I believe this was done to make things feel more personal, and it is almost like a private "unplugged" style concert.

The lyrics deal with the usual things, religious, yet dark, which is one of the unique things of the music of Woven Hand. I think a new listener would not be very appreciative of this release however. You would be better off looking for a different full length album from the band than this one. Only for collectors and fans.