The Handsome Family

The Handsome Family
@ Schubas, Chicago, April 18 & 19
by Andrew Clayman
Published in Chicago Innerview, April 2009

Living in New Mexico now, Brett and Rennie Sparks may have found a region more aesthetically in sync with the haunting, old Western morbidity of much of their music. But in the ways that matter most, The Handsome Family will always be a Chicago band. During their lengthy tenure here, Brett and Rennie were bedrocks of the local Americana and indie scenes, releasing records on the Carrot Top label, recording a live album at Schubas Tavern, and always lending a hand to other Chicago artists (Andrew Bird, as an example, still plays their “Giant of Illinois” as a part of his live show). This month, the Sparks will make their triumphant return to Schubas for two dates, promoting the release of their eighth LP, Honey Moon. The mood might be a little different this time around, though, as Honey Moon marks The Handsome Family’s surprising transition from murder ballads to love ballads—it’s a celebration of their twentieth year of marriage.