The Handsome Family's unique take on traditionalist country finds another fine platform on 2003's Singing Bones.
Husband-and-wife team Brett and Rennie Sparks explore dusty, melancholic territory -- both musically and lyrically -- by combining a taste for rootsy, old-school country (for which Brett's resonant baritone is perfectly suited) with literate, evocative, image-rich lyrics.
Singing Bones finds all these qualities in place.
Scenes and characters float through vividly drawn settings ("24-Hour Store," "Whitehaven"), while the instrumentation, arrangements, and ambience conjure dark forests and backwoods ghosts.
As old-world as the Handsome Family might seem, there is an incisive, contemporary sensibility to everything, from the gleaming production to the perfectly chosen words.
Singing Bones once again proves again how the group can seamlessly bridge the gap between present and past.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gail with the Golden HairBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 2 | 24-Hour StoreBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 04:52 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 3 | The Bottomless HoleBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 4 | Far from Any RoadBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:48 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | If the World Should End in FireBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 01:09 | 2 MB | 6 MB |
| 6 | A Shadow UnderneathBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:44 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 7 | Dry BonesTraditional | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 8 | Fallen PeachesBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:59 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | WhitehavenBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:46 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 10 | SleepyBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:08 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 11 | If the World Should End in IceBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 01:08 | 2 MB | 6 MB |
| 12 | The Forgotten Lake | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:47 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 13 | The Song Of A Hundred Toads | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:28 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 38 mins | 88 MB | |||||
| 38 mins | 236 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Gutierrez | Mandolin, Pedal Steel Guitar |
| 2 | The Handsome Family | Primary Artist |
| 3 | Greg Hansen | Dobro |
| 4 | David McChesney | Trumpet |
| 5 | Jimmy Pontzer | Drums |
| 6 | Sheila Sachs | Design Assistant |
| 7 | Roger Seibel | Mastering |
| 8 | Brett Sparks | Bass, Bass Instrument, Composer, Drums, Engineer, Group Member, Guitar, Keyboards, Musical Saw, Pedal Steel, Photography, Vocals |
| 9 | Darrell Sparks | Banjo, Drums, Group Member, Violin |
| 10 | Rennie Sparks | Art Compiler, Artwork, Autoharp, Banjo, Bass, Bass Instrument, Composer, Group Member, Vocals |
| 11 | Traditional | Composer |
| 12 | Tony Watkins | Bass Instrument |
| 13 | Tony Watkins | Bowed Bass |
The Handsome Family
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |