Inhabiting the hinterland between Nick Cave's panoramic sermonising and the soundtrack to Heaven's Gate, Denver's 16 Horsepower are a country rock trio with the spirit of Hank Williams at their shoulder and old time religion in their blood. Formed in 1992 by preacher's grandson David Eugene Edward and French exiles Jean-Yves Tola and Pascal Humbert (who offer the same European arthouse undertone Blixa Bargeld and co give to The Bad Seeds), theirs is a spartan sound, three parts arcane Appalachia, one part Violent Femmes.

Straddling the plucked banjos and minor chord guitars, Edwards' voice is a thing of fervent distraction, almost Jim Morrisonesque on the dirge-like Flutter, wracked and eerie on a version of Hank's Alone And Forsaken. A tad melodramatic at times (and top-heavy with pseudo Carson McCullers song narratives), this remains a 'Christian Rock' album with a serious hellhound on its trail.