Ten years young, David Eugene Edwards' mighty troupe show no signs of kickin' back 'neath the porch light. After a brief domestic sojourn (and Edwards' solo offshoot, Woven Hand), Folklore reaffirms their status as masters of white heat smoulder, turning down the amps but heightening the ravaged intensity.

Musically, it's spare - banjo, brackish piano and glowering guitar underpinning Edwards' cracked preacher confessionals - but the songs are top-notch, plumbing the deepest wells of American country. Covers of Hank Williams' "Alone And Forsaken" and The Carter Family's "Single Girl" are impressive, but their own "Beyond The Pale" and traditional "Horse Head Fiddle" are feverish peeks. A career high.

4 stars out of 5