Unarmed Against the Dark

Feathermerchants | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 8, 2003)
• Original Release Date: July 8, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Innocent
• ASIN: B00009LHX8
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #642,040 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. All The Way Home

2. 9th Ward

3. Dan

4. Temporary

5. Farmers Night Out

6. Brooklyn Ferry

7. Daffodils

8. Sitting Henry

9. Reptile Mind

10. Heartbreak Beat

Editorial Reviews

For Unarmed Against the Dark, their second album, N.Y.C.'s Feathermerchants acquired not only a new vocalist -- Shannon Kennedy having replaced Alison Winston and Erin O'Hara -- but also a more American pop/rock style. Gone are the Irish and Middle Eastern influences; there's barely a bouzouki to be heard here. The result is an album undeniably solid, with Kennedy's quavering yet adamant voice lending the songs a sincere vitality. Like the equally under-the-radar Scoldees, the Feathermerchants' strength lie in their subtlety and near-familial sense of cooperation as musicians. No one player attempts to outshine another, which allows the songs to breathe and grow organically. Beyond Kennedy's voice, the most interesting aspect to Unarmed Against the Dark is its droning drum sound, a thick texture that betrays the band's background in TV composition work. And the most interesting song, oddly, is the one Kennedy doesn't sing: guitarist Pete Veru more than ably takes the reins on his own composition, the swirling, cinematic "Farmers' Night Out." There aren't any huge pop hooks on this record, only a faithful cover of the Psychedelic Furs' "Heartbreak Beat" sounding much like a radio single, but the intelligent lyrics and intricate deliveries make this one of the better unheralded AAA albums of 2003. ~ Joseph McCombs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars buy this cd!, September 8, 2003

By 

"amazon3364" (brooklyn, ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unarmed Against the Dark (Audio CD)

i'm so excited to have found this band, even moreso because they're from nyc! finally a great female-fronted band from the big apple....the musicianship is outstanding, the lyrics nicely off the beaten path, the singer's voice beautiful and soul stirring...if you like the sundays, innocence mission or any other bands which feature beautiful female voices, you need to pick this one up.

additionally, it seems from their website like they're trying to do this without major label support, which to me is even more reason to support them...they're great artists, and they're doing their part to "fight the machine" which has exploited so many performers before them....i can't wait to see them live!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Lyrics and Melody, September 12, 2003

By 

Rick Keddy (Edison,NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unarmed Against the Dark (Audio CD)

The beautiful lyrics and melodies are outstanding. The songs hit the heart and inner soul and bring back memories which have been forgotten.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wow, September 9, 2003

By 

christina (ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unarmed Against the Dark (Audio CD)

This cd is great. My favorite song is all the way home