Through the Trees was the Handsome Family's breakthrough album, garnering enough attention and sales that they were finally able to quit their day jobs and focus on music full-time.
The group subsequently toured the U.S.
and Europe, while critics on both sides of the Atlantic went nuts for the Sparks' clever, brooding songs.
With Through the Trees, the transitional phase heard on Milk and Scissors was complete and the duo emerged with a more defined style, delivery, and songcraft which became their trademark sound.
Brett sings with a deeper resonance and phrases Rennie's mini-stories more skillfully, while the occasional distorted guitar and harder-rocking tunes have been trimmed away, leaving a more consistent, stripped-down country feel.
This album includes Rennie's vocal debut (albeit in a self-conscious, exaggerated nasal twang) on "Down in the Ground"; "Cathedrals," a song originally heard on their limited-edition vinyl EP Invisible Hands (Carrot Top, 1997); and enduring crowd favorites "The Woman Downstairs" and "Weightless Again." It also includes guest Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.
While the albums that followed were excellent, Through the Trees remains the Handsome Family's definitive album, and is a wonderful encapsulation of the myths and heartbroken tales that populate the dark, romantic world of Brett and Rennie Sparks.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weightless AgainBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:38 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 2 | My Sister's Tiny HandsBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:26 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 3 | StalledBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:26 | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| 4 | Where the Birch Trees LeanBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:20 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 5 | CathedralsBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:22 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 6 | Down in the GroundBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:43 | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| 7 | The Giant of IllinoisBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:03 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 8 | Down in the Valley of Hollow LogsBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 03:29 | 7 MB | 21 MB |
| 9 | I FellBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 04:14 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 10 | The Woman DownstairsBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 04:47 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 11 | Last Night I Went Out WalkingBrett Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 04:24 | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| 12 | Bury Me HereBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:47 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 13 | My GhostBrett Sparks, Rennie Sparks | The Handsome Family | Play | 02:26 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 44 mins | 101 MB | |||||
| 44 mins | 259 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Handsome Family | Primary Artist |
| 2 | Brett Sparks | Composer |
| 3 | Rennie Sparks | Composer |
| 4 | Jeff Tweedy | Guest Artist |
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). |