'Miles of Twine takes country-blues-folk at its finest and adds awe-inspiring cello, bar banter wisdom and a few wild cards for good measure, hearkening back to a mythical time when men were men, moonshine flowed freely and a musician couldn't get by if he didn't play a mean fiddle and whistle For a Fistful of Dollars in his sleep. The band, which showcases the talents of multi-instrumentalist Paul Fonfara, touring partner with Jim White and sometime member of too many Denver bands to mention, also features members of Tarantella, 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand. With such a well of skill to draw upon, many records would end up a hodge-podge of half-realized ideas, but the Painted Saints keep a good balance between down-home charm and exquisite melody. From the title track's relatively simple buzzing plucked viola, more Earl Scruggs than classical, to more intricate arrangements such as Kerosene's winding desert caravan ride (resplendent with clarinet and glissando strings), not a single track misses its mark. Even the tunes that push the six minute mark don't grow old easily; To Answer Monotone's acrobatic violin ranks among the album's best moments (an achievement in itself). Fonfara's lyrical persona resembles the drunk at the saloon bar who's seen it all. In Company Town, he morosely says, They'll kick you in the balls when you're two feet tall, but he isn't too cynical to wax nostalgic in the aforementioned To Answer Monotone. Painted Saints occasionally veer off their dusty roots-based track. The wailing bowed saw in Barbed Wire and Tin creates an expansive but desolate mood. This ultimately gives way to a Tom Waits circus soundtrack -- all theremin and what sounds like creaking gramophone records. While tempos and ambience vary from the frenetic Tex-Mex of the bizarrely-named The Volvo King of New York to Cardboard and Silence Saved Us Again's languid Dirty Threeisms and louche whistling, the record maintains a remarkably coherent feel, held together by excellent playing. Miles of Twine is not merely an excellent, evocative album, but something rarer -- one of those hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck recordings that comes out of nowhere and inhabits your CD deck for weeks. Let's hope it gets a wider release.

I think what pulls me back to this record is that it has tons of heart. These guys obviously listen to alot of Tom Waits, Gogol Bordello and maybe some Calexico but don't go in for the over the top carnival we're so weird and cabaret shit that everyone is doing these days. They just write really good songs that aren't afraid to slow it down and show some soul.

The Painted Saints bring the sole of blues with the sounds of dark love and romance via strings and harmonic minor vocals. This album treats you with beautiful melodies every track making you leave their music in the CD player for weeks with out getting board. Depressing as the music sounds, I find my self singing along with a giant smile overly pleased with the band's talent. Thank you Painted Saints!!!