I discovered Woven Hand, and David Eugene Edwards, the band's frontman and driving creative force, while listening to an All Songs Considered podcast in 2006. The song I heard, "Winter Shaker", was quite unlike anything I've ever heard before (or since, for that matter.) The music is dark, strange and compelling. Even stranger was the song's odd (but gripping) mixture of Native American rhythms with Christian themes, and the song ends with Edwards imitating the particular styles of Native American singers, his voice rising in a high pitch and warbling as he cries out for a "quaking in the person." There's no mistaking the Christian overtones in his songs (Edwards is blatant about the religiosity of his songs) but never had I heard any "Christian" music like this before. No doubt, Edwards is a Christian artist. I've heard no song of his that doesn't reference God, Christ or his religion in some sense, and many of his songs are blatantly Christian, as he sings about judgment, redemption, or the challenge of faith. But it is impossible to associate Edwards with other more popular Christian artists; his music lacks the sentimentality, sappiness and repetitiveness of contemporary Christian music, and most of his songs can hardly be described as "uplifting." But because his music is so odd and yet so powerful, Edwards has attracted a following among lovers of indie music (such as myself) as well as devout Christians dissatisfied with contemporary Christian pop.
After hearing "Winter Shaker" I immediately bought the album Mosaic. I was stunned and amazed by the variety of musical stylings Edwards is capable of; the songs "Swedish Purse" begins with a banjo and an organ, a combination that works in a manner that's difficult to describe. Edwards concocts his own language for "Slota Prow", an idea that sounds over-the-top until you hear the song. Songs like "Swedish Purse" and "Whistling Girl" are urgent, and nearly all of the songs are dark, or grim, but then we hear "Bible and Bird", a pleasant, folksy and not at all dark instrumental.
Consider the Birds, released in 2004, is much the same. The music on both albums is dominated by a "southern gothic" feel, as songs can deal with dark and troubling themes that nonetheless illustrate the power of redemption, and the music itself can be an odd blend of banjo, hurdy gurdy, guitar, keyboards, piano, violins or cellos, and drums or other assorted percussion instruments.
I expected more of the same from Woven Hand's newest release, Ten Stones, which came out in September. I was surprised and not at all disappointed to be wrong. Edwards takes a different turn with Ten Stones, crafting an album that's somewhat more traditional but no less arresting. Instead of eerie folk music, we have blatant guitars and pounding drums, a more traditional rock sounds that's still infused with Edwards signature and effective oddities (more hurdy gurdy) though in different settings now. Native American themes arise in songs like "Kicking Bird" and "Iron Feather", though the songs are faster and louder now. The songs most like his prior work are probably "Kingdom of Ice", a song that is (as near as I can tell) about a war horse preparing for battle, and "His Loyal Love." Although the music differs to a large extent from his prior work, the power of the music does not.
His music is no less compelling for this different approach. Edwards singing brings to mind images of Old Testament prophets, imploring their audiences to see the light and threatening damnation and retribution if they do not. While this message is largely camafloged by the quiet beauty of songs like "Chest of Drawers" from Consider the Birds ("The world will bow; The knees will be broken for those who don't know how) it is not at all quiet on Ten Stones; the messages of damnation and retribution are not at all softened by the music on Ten Stones.
I am not a Christian, but never have I heard more compelling "Christian" music than that produced by Edwards. The message in Edwards music-that God is on his way and that you'd better get your act together-has been repeated countless times throughout thousands of years of human history. And yet, rarely has it been as compelling-even to nonbelievers such as myself-as it is here, when pared with music of such power and uniqueness. I strongly suspect that Edwards' music has brought around more people disinclined towards Christianity than any of the ham-handed music you'll find on Christian stations these days. That being said, you don't have to be a Christian, or even approve of Edwards' message, to think that the man knows how to write a great song.
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