On the Handsome Family's last album, 2009's Honey Moon, Rennie and Brett Sparks were preoccupied with songs about love. For their new album, the musical sweethearts have shifted their focus to more historical and natural matters. The collection is called Wilderness, and it's out on May 14 through Carrot Top Records.
According to an announcement from the label, these new songs are filled with "wild animals, tall tales, and dark stories from American history." These themes are said to be the perfect accompaniment to the duo's folksy songs, which mix rustic Americana ballads with more modern production touches.
Hear the backwoodsy album cut "Spider" at the bottom of this page.
As a companion to the album, lyricist Rennie assembled a book of artwork and essays. Also called Wilderness, the book "will expand on the meticulously researched and little-known enigmas of the natural world explored on the album: immortal jellyfish, woodpecker tongues, dancing octopi, fly royalty, the secret language of crows, and mysterious ant spirals."
The album will be available on CD, LP or deluxe LP box set. This box comes with the aforementioned book, plus six postcards and a poster. These options are available to pre-order here.
The band have shows planned for the summer in the U.S. and Europe, though none in Canada. You can see the schedule at the bottom of the page here.
According to an announcement from the label, these new songs are filled with "wild animals, tall tales, and dark stories from American history." These themes are said to be the perfect accompaniment to the duo's folksy songs, which mix rustic Americana ballads with more modern production touches.
Hear the backwoodsy album cut "Spider" at the bottom of this page.
As a companion to the album, lyricist Rennie assembled a book of artwork and essays. Also called Wilderness, the book "will expand on the meticulously researched and little-known enigmas of the natural world explored on the album: immortal jellyfish, woodpecker tongues, dancing octopi, fly royalty, the secret language of crows, and mysterious ant spirals."
The album will be available on CD, LP or deluxe LP box set. This box comes with the aforementioned book, plus six postcards and a poster. These options are available to pre-order here.
The band have shows planned for the summer in the U.S. and Europe, though none in Canada. You can see the schedule at the bottom of the page here.