If their last album,
Through the Trees, came to us from the darkness at the bottom of a well (or a liquor bottle),
In the Air is the sound of
the Handsome Family
after they made it out of the depths and up onto the grass -- and are
now adjusting to a less desperate life. Not to say that it's sunny.
Lyricist
Rennie Sparks
still presents us with dark and bloody tragedies, as well as whimsical
fairytales about lonely, but hopeful figures. The difference between
In the Air and the
Handsome Family's last album seems to be the presence of a calm (as opposed to disturbed restraint) and a certain warmth pervading this album.
Brett Sparks'
vocal delivery comes across as more relaxed and natural and in lieu of
the occasional, creepy vocal effects used on the last album. The
colorful, sad, and disturbed scenes are often delivered with a country
flavor and a folk instrumentation, and include songs that are the
rightful offspring of Appalachian murder ballads, such as "My Beautiful
Bride" and "Up Falling Rock Hill," and southern hymns ("Never Grow
Old"). The Handsome Family's songs are imbued with a tender romanticism
and love of the fantastic -- and of a world that, for all it's real
twists and sadness, still holds moments of childlike wonder and magical
possibilities.
In the Air was recorded, as were their three previous albums, in the
Handsome Family living room, this time with live percussion (provided by
Brett) instead of a drum machine. Also heard are guest musicians
Darrell Sparks, who sings backup and plays guitar on two songs, and violinist
Andrew Bird (formerly of
the Squirrel Nut Zippers,
leader of his own roots music-based band) who contributes to "Poor,
Poor Lenore," "Up Falling Rock Hill," and "When That Helicopter Comes," a
hellfire and brimstone, foot-stomping number with a sparse, bluegrass
delivery: "It's gonna rain champagne/and the hills are gonna dance...
The sky will swim in lightning fire and the trees will shake and
scream."
tags: the handsome family, in the air, 2000, flac,
