On Tuesday June 14th the dimly lit intimate setting of the Tractor Tavern proved to be the perfect compliment to Brett and Rennie Sparks' unique brand of 21st-Century Romanticism. The blue and purple lights along with the black backdrop fit right in with their dark, brooding, romantic narrative and sweetly sarcastic performance.
More commonly known as the Handsome Family, Brett and Rennie kicked off the tour in support of their new release, Honey Moon, in front of an enthusiastic, appreciative, and large (for the Tractor) Tuesday-night crowd. They kicked it all off with “Linger, Let Me Linger,” the first track off of Honey Moon. The song prominently features Brett's commanding baritone which resides somewhere between Johnny Cash, Jonathan Richman, Roy Orbison, and Nick Cave. There is also a theatrical quality to his voice that draws the listener in.
Next, they turned back the clock to play “Weightless Again,” one of the key tracks from their 1998 breakthrough Through the Trees. A murder ballad with influences ranging from Woody Guthrie and “Wayfaring Stranger” to themes found throughout Gothic literature, the lyrics and lumbering music hit hard.
Many of the Handsome Family compositions defy traditional verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of a more narrative approach. This is undeniably due to the fact that before their music careers started to take off, Rennie was a fiction writer.
In between songs, while Brett took swigs from a bottle of Rainier, Rennie interjected interesting facts about the songs as well as digressed to cover other topics as well. I don't remember much of the banter and introductions word-for-word, but there was an interesting digression about pine trees up here and the one tree in their home state of New Mexico.
The most interesting song intro was to “Darling, My Darling,” supposedly about a praying mantis relationship. Learning this allowed me to see this song in a morbid new light. Before I thought it was just a romantic country ballad, while really it is kind of brutal considering female mantises bite off the head of their reproductive partner. Ouch.
On the lighter side, “Little Sparrows,” one of the highlights of Honey Moon, was also a highlight of the show. It comes across as a traditional country duet in the vein of Johnny Cash and June Carter. Vocally, Brett and Rennie compliment each other perfectly, much like Johnny and June.
The duo performed many tracks from Honey Moon, including the murky, thick “Wild Wood,” as well as the more upbeat “1000 Diamond Rings,” a love letter to the Albuquerque sun. The most amazing performance of the night came during “The Loneliness of Magnets,” when Brett whistled pitch-perfect without seeming to move his mouth at all. Now that's talent!
The Tractor Tavern exists for great performances like this one. Brett, Rennie, and their backup band put on an entertaining, impressive alt-country performance perfect for a Tuesday night (or any night for that matter) at the Tractor.
