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New Haven Advocate Feathermerchants, Last Man on Earth (Innocent 12th Street Records). Frighteningly skillful Connecticut guitarist Jim Chapdelaine and drummer Jon Peckman (both former New Haven Mocking Birds) and New Yorkers Pete Veru and Shannon Kennedy offer 10 new tracks of grown-up, soul- and jazz-inflected pop-rock that sounds like it's coming from the end of a dark, hot highway tunnel. Cloaked in generous echo, the guitars sound downright ambient. Shannon Kennedy's smoky vocals and Chapdelaine's mournful steel guitar bring the humidity, while the drums and percussion are propulsive but not ostentatious. The band plays economically, with most songs clocking in at three minutes and change. The exception comes last: "The Long Goodbye," in which the electro flourishes suggest where else the band might take their sound. —Brian G. LaRue a Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds Feathermerchants have released several records before this one. All have been reviewed here by Anna Maria Stjarnell. Their first called simply, Feathermerchants (2001) was called "clearly folk in nature". That may be, I can see that it may have roots in folk, but I wouldn't call the music folk now. It's more of a dreamy pop concoction with a touch of psychedelia. Shannon Kennedy heads the group now and she has a lovely voice that suits the music well. At times she reminds me of Harriet Wheeler of the Sundays. That's always a good thing in my mind. Title and opening track, "Last Man on Earth" is downright haunting. That slidey guitar sounds really cool. "Change My Night" has an interesting production quality. The voice sounds almost lo-fi while the music is very lush. These songs are very well written and performed and the production is just as good. I love the spooky melody on "Head to the Here and Now". It's sweeping and beautiful. They do a nice cover of The Church's "Under the Milky Way" which is a good way to wrap up a very lovely record. http://www.collectedsounds.com/cdreviews/lastmanonearth.html Feathermerchants Last Man On Earth (Innocent 12 St. Records) Rating: 9 US release date: 7 March 2006 UK release date: 7 March 2006 by Jason MacNeil Insound Comment New York bands are a dime a dozen, maybe even a nickel a dozen. And so are the bars or venues that are around the ³Big Apple². As a result, there are hordes of groups vying to land gigs all the time in hopes of landing that big deal. Others couldn¹t really give a hoot if it comes along or not. And Feathermerchants seem to be such a band. Led by Shannon Kennedy, this band is able to blend the pop and rock worlds with their own jazz influences, making for some experimental and very refreshing bits of sound. The group¹s 2003 release Unarmed Against The Dark caught a lot of people off guard for its strength, and this album only reinforces that point. Kennedy¹s soothing and sultry, whispery vocals are somewhere between Diana Krall and Natalie Merchant, particularly on the slow building but quite confident pop rock of the title track. Resembling 10,000 Maniacs to some extent with a hell of a lot more bite, Feathermerchants nail this little jewel for all its worth, meandering through the first verse in a bluesy vein before gathering steam in verse two. The chorus has all the little intangibles that make it work easier than it would for most groups. The guitars then take control and all is better for it. And from there, they return to the smoky, jazz lounge styling they do oh so well, particularly on the slow and somewhat sexy ³Change My Night² that features the subtle guitars, bass line, and precious drum brushes. The album is screaming dichotomy at every turn, for after this number we¹re right back where they started off with. ³Head To The Here And Now² again begins with a slow, swaying and somewhat winding pop rock feeling that is driven by Kennedy¹s vocals and the rhythm section. ³Let me go/Please let me out of the cold² she sings with the comfy harmonies in the distance. Murky and swampy, the song is big without being too busy or bombastic. Feathermerchants also have an uncanny knack for picking out melodies out of the air, particularly with ³Finish Last² as Kennedy sings about being kicked in the teeth and having trouble seeing straight which are references to being in love. Complex but very groovy, the tune grows on you just before it ends almost a minute or at least half minute too soon. Another thing they have going for them of course is Kennedy¹s pipes that can do just about anything that is needed. Just when you think ³Go For A Walk² is heading down a seedy, run-of-the-mill blues rock effort, they saunter through a mid-tempo pop flavor and then full bore into a power pop backbeat, somewhat like Texas did all those years ago with ³I Don¹t Want A Lover². But then moves into a slower, haunting track fuelled by some nifty guitar squeals. Unfortunately ³Hitchcock Blonde² has that same aura to it but never finds any gold, just ambling along adequately enough with someone banging away on a toy piano. The feel the need to atone however with perhaps the highlight of the record entitled ³Bindy² that is perfect pop that sounds like it should have been influencing bands 20 years ago. There¹s a certain timeless quality about this track that makes everything flow, even having a certain U2 circa The Joshua Tree percussion vibe through it. Following an airy, trance-inducing ³Hollow², the band try on a cover for size, this time ³Under The Milky Way² that was done by The Church. Doing it probably the only way they know how, Feathermerchants rely on a well-crafted, moody blend of jazz-pop and a strong guitar undercurrent with the almost obligatory subtle twists and turns. By now they¹ve proven they¹ve made another darling of an album, so they conclude with ³The Long Goodbye² with dual lead vocals this time. Nonetheless, fears of a sophomore slump are greatly unfounded by this group who create their own little niche by pushing the boundaries of others. ‹ 21 March 2006 Check out the artist's website: http://feathermerchants.com Track List: 1. Last Man on Earth 2. Change my Night 3. Head, to the Here and Now 4. Finnish Last 5. Go for a Walk 6. Hitchcock Blonde 7. Bindy 8. Hollow 9. Under the Milky Way 10. The Long Goodbye Other Genres:
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