Silver Sash. Woven Hand

Woven Hand, the vehicle under which name David Eugene Edwards releases his work since the 00s, releases its first album in quite some time. Silver Sash literally comes crashing into my room, through my ears, into my head. A wall of sound is hurled at me. Muddied, dirty, impenetrable. A monster pretending to be untameable. Is it?

Another little voice whispers something to me as well. It's all a smokescreen paving over musical anaemia. Don't fall into the trap. Shouldn't I?

One thing is for certain. The music on Silver Sash is miles away from what I know of Edwards' output. This bunch goes way beyond the extreme folk rock either Sixteen Horsepower or Woven Hand produced before. The previous inclinations may be underneath it all, but are totally paved over. On top is a form of rock moving towards metal as Therapy? made in the mid 90s on 'Troublegum'. With drums that are whacked, not played. With distorted guitars flaying everything and everyone, undiscriminating.

The listener has to wade through this sea of noise to come to the heart of Silver Sash, the music. The good news is, the music is there and I'm not afraid of saying already that it is impressive. The wall of sound comes from everywhere and I stand in awe. What is going on here? Why this relentlessness?

Another thought came to me. In the past David Eugene Edwards sang as if the devil was not only on his tail. The nether world was already patting him on the back, the flames licking at this heels. "Here I am", it was whispering in his ear, scaring him to hell and back. There was no escaping his fate, it seems. It was all brought to us in music and vocals laying bare the deep fear and despair raging in his head. That is at least how I perceived it. Music that was not always easy to listen to but always impressive.

Come 2022, returning to the thought I've announced. Listening to Silver Sash I have the impression that Edwards has tamed all these demons and does not have to shout them away from him any longer. If anything is paved over today, it may be just this. Musically, perhaps paradoxically, it all leads to far louder music. This wall of sound that is thrown into my room. This totally impressive, almost tangible sound, as if a person is standing in front of me.

Only one question remains. Is Silver Sash good? It may be too early to tell, really. After a few listening sessions, I can share that this album is not one to play under any circumstances. For that it is simply too loud. The same goes for all the albums under whichever name I own with David Eugene Edwards on it. So, there's nothing truly new here. What I can already share, is that I am deeply impressed by the album. Nothing is held back. Silver Sash is the real thing alright. Deeply intense music, where the musicians give it their all. Arriving at these conclusions, the only answer to my question must be: yes, Silver Sash is a good album.

Only now reading the accompanying bio, some things are explained. Edwards made the album, the first Woven Hand since 2016, with Chuck French, guitarist in emocore outfit Planes Mistaken For Stars and also a good friend. In the lockdown situation they finished Silver Sash, but having begun work on the basis of songs French had laying about. The astonishing fact is that despite this hugely different influence Silver Sash remains a Woven Hand album. Of course that starts with that unique voice of David Eugene Edwards, but let's face it, the duo album he released with Alexander Hacke was good but definitely not a Woven Hand album. It's not just the voice.

Whether fans loving the extreme folk rock of Sixteen Horsepower/Woven Hand are willing to follow the band into Silver Sash's huge sound, remains to be seen. I have and intend to follow it further and not just now for this review. Follow the 'Dead Dead Beat' indeed.

Wout de Natris