Religion doesn't only take its toll in the Middle East. 16 Horsepower too has to deal with religious difficulties. Leader David Eugene Edwards has suspended 16 Horsepower for the present, because his fellow-musicians are fed up with his devoutness.

Meanwhile Edwards proceeds stiffly. Woven Hand is the name of the by-way he entered last year. The American made music under that moniker during the latest Crossing Border festival in Amsterdam. A bit boring and with only one musical companion. On his present tour Edwards is supported by keyboard player Daniel McMahon, cellist Paul Fonfara and the modest drummer Gary (sic) Garrison.

Ewards himself lives it up on the banjo. His bandoneon is absent. He sings into a microphone that gives his voice a metal edge. That is a trick which the rootsmusician from Denver likes to live on. And as far as the stage presentation is concerned, there's no difference between 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand.

Only after three quarters of an hour does the anti-entertainer Edwards say something. Against his musicians.

The crammed Doornroosje is watching a band with the dynamics of the Parthenon columns. At Doornroosje contents triumphs over style. Rarely on a rock stage were proceedings this serious.

This year a Woven Hand of the same name was released. The band sounds like a naked 16 Horsepower prototype. Live, Woven Hand snakes more into the direction of 16 Horsepower's religious roots rock, however, without approaching the stifling intensity of that band.

With Woven Hand, Edwards produces a contemporary variant of Appalachian folk. The cellist sometimes conjures up sacred melancholy and the keyboard player rather regularly displays a preference for ambient. In the encore it seems as if McMahon is playing a demented church organ.

Sometimes Woven Hand sounds like a godfearing Nick Cave. The quartet also plays slowcore à la Songs: Ohia. And Ain't no sunshine, a very old Bill Withers hit record, comes across as a Joy Division blues song. 'Ain't no sunshine when she's gone'. But when Edwards is in the neighbourhood and on stage, the sun also doesn't want to shine properly.

Visually Woven Hand chalked up a seriously insufficient mark. Musically speaking though, this interim Edwards band achieves an amply sufficient grade, but it does not manage to relegate 16 Horsepower to oblivion.

Woven Hand concert. Seen Sunday 14 April, Doornroosje, Nijmegen.
Upcoming shows: 24 April, Melkweg, Amsterdam and 28 April 013, Tilburg.