16 Horsepower has lost its fury and sounds as gloomy as never before. "Folklore" is their black album. It is black. The cover. The booklet. And the rest too. On "Secret South" the sun still shone blood-red, now the blackest of nights prevails. "We wanted to sound more acoustic. I think each one of us has reached a point in his life where he wants to soften somewhat", says singer David Eugene Edwards.

That elucidates some matters. For example the fact that the scraping, morbid rock that 16 Horsepower celebrated so inimitably on the three preceding albums has disappeared completely. Now everything soars in sacral solemnity, in dark pathos and spine-chilling intensity. With a calm, fear-inspiring voice Edwards sings. Guitar, banjo and soft drums smooth the way for him, sawing cellos open the gates of hell. That doesn't sound like deliverance.

The quiet, mantra-like stream of songs is only interrupted by "Single Girl", a jittery Carter Family cover, that sounds like boozing in the saloon, and the closing, slightly atonal European traditional "La Robe A Parasol". Both pieces somewhat interfere with the magic of this record. The remainder is music like the gravedigger's breath - and not quite as divine as Edwards' solo-debut "Woven Hand".