Through The Trees - Handsome Family

This Chicago husband and wife duo are true mavericks and this is music that explores the darker side of the human psyche. There's something about the lyrics and the atmosphere of the music that is really quite profound - these don't sound like personal confessions but you can still hear genuine pain and disturbing experiences transformed into these sad and funny stories. An exception is "My Ghost" that hints of real mental disturbance from amore personal point of view. Once you see The Handsome Family live you quickly pick up on the dry humour that pervades everything they do but this is not a comedy duo. Listen to the sad lament of "The ...  Read the complete review

This album is a blend of early country-inspired music and twisted lyrics, all presented with a deceptive simplicity. Comparisons have been made to the Carter Family, the Louvin Brothers and Hank Williams, although the Handsome Family are by no means derivative copies. Indeed, there are many contemporary influences and elements to the music, not least the drum machine used throughout this album, which inspired the epithet ‘Countronica’. Imagery ranges from the urban (fire escapes, el trains, fibreglass castles) to the rural (not prettified nature but an environment where new green shoots, plump blackberries and silver forests are counterbalanced by ...  Read the complete review