The Threshingfloor is the name of the newly-released seventh album from Wovenhand. The title refers to the location where, in times past, the edible part of grain (or similar crops) was separated from the less-appetizing chaff that encased it. However, it could also refer to the fact that few bands ever make it to album number seven. Fortunately for the world, five years after the end of 16 Horsepower and about eighteen years after beginning his career in music, David Eugene Edwards does not seem to be running short on ideas: The Threshingfloor is a high-quality record of powerful lyrics delivered by Edwards’s powerful voice and supported by instrumentation done in a variety of musical styles.

It’s immediately obvious that folk music has a strong pull on Wovenhand, but the band does not restrict themselves to any particular geographic region or time period. Middle Eastern instrumentation shows up on the title track, while ‘His Rest’ and ‘Truth’ have electronic elements to them. With its country style, closer ‘Denver City’ could have been put out by 16 Horsepower and “Raise Her Hands” draws influence from the music of Native Americans. In short, The Threshingfloor is a melting pot where the elements work both individually and as a whole.

The diversity of the music is admirable, as is the fact that the voice of Edwards fits each different context. The man has quite a pair of pipes, and is not above a little electronic modification to spice things up a little. As is typical with this style of music, the lyrics are at the forefront with Wovenhand, and they are obviously painstakingly crafted.

The majority of the lyrics written by Edwards are immediately identifiable as Christian-themed. Unfortunately, that’s probably the trait of Wovenhand that will divide people the most, rather than the quality of the music. The material on this album draws from both the Old and New Testaments. The album’s titular image is a common one in the older books, while ‘A Holy Measure’ is a straight-forward paean to Jesus Christ.

For those familiar with the sad state of modern music that connects itself with Christianity, Wovenhand is a refreshingly-inventive band that can does not sacrifice the quality of its art in the name of its message. For those less inclined to the Christian worldview, the lyrics are still relevant in their hope for peace and the multi-faceted music easily stands up against scrutiny. For those familiar with the amorphous genre of folk music, Wovenhand will be a quality addition to a record collection. However, if you (like me) need to have your conceptions about what folk music is challenged, The Threshingfloor will blow you away and might, just maybe, make you a bit more open-minded about music.