Last Man on Earth

A brief EP, Street Theater, held Feathermerchants fans over between 2003's Unarmed Against the Dark and this 2006 effort, which unfortunately does not live up to expectations. Last Man on Earth charted on the influential CMJ survey, representing the band's biggest commercial success to date, but what makes it a less than worthy successor to the terrific Unarmed is a lack of strong refrains. There's a cautiousness to the songs that makes them not unpleasant but also not remarkable. A ringing multiple-guitar sound courses through most of the album, particularly effective on "Finish Last" and "Head to the Here and Now," songs shrouded in smoky mystery. Organic textures predominate. But the intricate details are blurred in a drony wash of sound at times, as on the unsure-of-itself "Go for a Walk." Singer Shannon Kennedy retains fine personality, affecting something of a Natalie Merchant passive timbre in a set of songs cloaked in vague mystique, suggesting a life poised for dramatic change but not quite realizing it. A mournful and introspective read of the Church hit "Under the Milky Way" proves all too apt: "Wish I knew what you were looking for," Kennedy sings, seemingly to herself, and the line seems to apply to the album's intent as well. Last Man on Earth, lacking immediacy, is a AAA-unfriendly step backward by some measures, but it's no failure. The band have written no hits, but they have honed a well-executed and articulate sound all their own; with this album, they're no longer unarmed and are now gently railing against the dark in a quiet death match.