The Country Thread

Sixteen Horsepower - "Low Estate" (1997)

I thought I'd give this sophomore album a crack after really enjoying 1996's excellent "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" album & it's subsequently delivered, if to a slightly lesser extent. The band's sound is very similar to the debut but there are definitely less highlight tracks & the material is a little more subtle & less immediate too. The main thing that sees "Low Estate" scoring a touch lower than its elder sibling is the drop in quality that occurs over the final third of the tracklisting though as the first two thirds offer some very solid gothic country indeed. Front man David Eugene Edwards is once again the highlight with his whiny tone piercing through the mix like a sharp knife. He's fucking fantastic & is what makes Sixteen Horsepower so unique.

For fans of Wovenhand, Slim Cessna's Auto Club & Calexico.

3.5/5

16 Horsepower - "Secret South" (2000)

The third album from LA's leaders of the gothic country pack sees them returning to the heights of their 1996 debut "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" after 1997's "Low Estate" had come down a step, despite still being an entertaining listen. In fact, I'd suggest that I even slightly prefer "Secret South" over the debut with it's more stripped back format offering me plenty of appeal by maximizing the strength of front man David Eugene Edwards' story-telling prowess.

For fans of Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Me & That Man & The Builders & the Butchers.

4/5