Posted on May 7, 2009 - by Mark Zonda
Alone in The Handsome Family
“Dark, elemental, mischievous and mournful ” ~MOJO
“When you left me alone, the stars turned to stone, and my legs rolled into the sea. Why did you go? The sea was so cold” ~from The Petrified Forest”
Some music seems coming directly from the past. Non just the usual past. Melodies are suddendly lingering in the air just like on a ghost movie, creeping on some obscure libraries between books barely raising some dust from the anciend floor.
That’s the case of a duo project called “The Handsome Family”. Brett and Rennie Sparks are married since 1993, they’ve got a strange obscure and decadent conception of love, but they both seem to have clear which direction they music shall take: alternative country holding hands with tradition but shaking with apocalyptist lyrics. It’s clearely the case of “Darling, My Darling”, from their last album “Honey Moon” (Carrot Top Record). Perfect recoding, not with a inch left randomly out of place, the dark voice of Brett Sparks will spread out of your musical device to give depth to your surrounding, room, square, hall or any other empty place you’re fitting with this brand new old work reaching your years.
Tracks like “When You Whispered” maybe has really nothing special to say but sharing with the listener the experience of a perfectly crafted folk ballad, and it’s definatly a bravo for that, and meanwhile “Wild Wood” would sound quite puzzling for those usually listening to glam rock or some emo stuff (I do), it thanks to trakcs like the weak meowed Bacharachian “Love Is Like” and the shiverning istant classic “The Winding Corn Maze” that “Honey Moon” deserve a place on your listening, but if you should accept to wait next autumn to run into that old ghost library, put off that summer dust, and let Mr and Mrs Sparkles shine a light to your heart. Duting the summer just focus to “The Petrified Forest”. There’s no season for such a marvellous song.
The Handsome Family – “My Friend”
The Handsome Family – “Darling, my darling”
The Handsome Family – “The Winding Corn Maze”
Let it ring on...
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Waving Flags
Indie music at its most. And not only! A year has passed since this project started, and I must say that I'm prouder than ever having been persuaded to begin this adventure made by music and words.
Some friends who collaborated to this magazine has gone, some has come. You're welcome as well to find out opinion, sounds, and new musical discoveries and - if you're interested - collaborate as well.
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