Breaks In The Armor
by: Crooked Fingers
(Merge Records)
Eric Bachmann writes, records and performs under the name Crooked Fingers. A North Carolina native, Bachmann now lives in Athens, Georgia, where he recorded his latest album Breaks In The Armor.
Bachmann co-founded the Chapel Hill band Archers of Loaf in 1991, and kept the band going until 1998. Around this time Bachmann formed Crooked Fingers. Breaks In The Armor counts as his sixth studio release since 2000. Bachmann wrote all 11 songs on this collection that was produced by the Pixies live engineer Matt Yelton in Athens.
The murky "Typhoon" opens Breaks In The Armor with dark news on a personal front. "Bad Blood" emits a ramshackle quality that hooks the listener. Bachmann utilizes his tunes to evoke familiar emotions to folks from all walks of life. "The Hatchet", an acoustic number, conveys an immediate resignation in the songwriter's words: "I mean what I said/I'm leaving my friend."
"The Counterfeiter" sound contains an echo of a late-70s-in-Athens vibe, leaning towards melodic pop. A timeless mystic revolves around "Heavy Hours" that stands out as one of this album's strongest tracks. The piano driven "Black Candles" impresses with its unrelenting darkness where Bachmann sings "Black candles burning in the kerosene rain..."
Bachmann sings "You don't stand a chance" on "Went To The City" where the song's mood conveys a real uneasiness. "Your Apocalypse" presents an eerie march along destruction in the ditches. "War Horses" emerges as another sad, but beautiful, gem on Break In The Armor. The final cut, "Our New Favorite" features Bachmann playing acoustic guitar and singing an honest story where his strength resides. Breaks In The Armor shines like a midnight lamp. Highly recommended...
James Calemine
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