Feathers – S/T (CD)

With a set of vocals that mix Jethro Tull and Stevie Nicks, the style of music during a song like “Old Black Hat With A Dandelion Feather” seem to pull from a completely different (and older) tradition. While this is a little offsetting, Feathers come back strong with the mopey yet hopeful vocals of “To Each His Own”.

The repetition present in a track like this is intention and does not bring the track down or into a rut; the drone created by the track is something that is expected and desire. In much of the same way as music that allows for meditation, “To Each His Own” allows the band to perfect their art before going into the rest of the disc. An interesting tendency of Feathers is to make a song that is tops three and a half minutes feel as if it is seven or eight minutes. This will be a blessing for fans of the act, but for individuals who want something immediate, it might seem like a punishment. The meandering style of Feathers on this disc is something that should really be enjoyed alongside a good glass of wine and a comfortable couch to recline on. The diversity of styles that one finds on this self-titled album is impressive, and even more so with the limited influence range that Feathers work under. While the styles are completely different, a song like “Elna” has the same creepy, detached sound that Radiohead perfected in their “OK Computer” and “Kid A” albums. The vocals present on the track are beautiful, but there is a darker side to them that come forth throughout the track that hides under the strummed guitar work and silky vocals. Everything is sedate, a scattershot that is closely grouped.

However, individuals’ interests are kept up at all sections of this disc, even if there is not much to grab onto. The Spartan tendencies of songs like “Ulna” show the band as very able to create something out of nothing and to keep individuals listening in. I can understand why Cabic signed Feathers, and while they play a style of music that only NPR and college radio could love, there is no doubt that they will have a large fan base here in a short period of time. Give this album a shot if you yearn for the days of quiet, crackling vinyl and fringes on leather jackets.

Top Tracks: Ulna, Van Rat

Rating: 6.2/10

Feathers – S/T / 2006 Gnomonsong / 8 Tracks / http://www.gnomonsong.com / Reviewed 25 April 2006

[JMcQ]