Customer Reviews

Conductor

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's get this out of the way -- the Comas sound like the mellower little brother of the Shins, the softer cousin of Modest Mouse. So fans of those bands will undoubtedly like the folky-psychedelic sound of the Comas' third album, "Conductor," a mixture of dreamy pop and aching rock.

It starts off slow and steady, with an almost jazzy melody that melts into the ominous "Science of Your Mind." It's followed up by a stream of gently dreamy pop -- the catchy "Moonrainbow," soaring off into the ethereal "Last Transmission," and the gently plaintive "Dirty South." And "Falling" sounds like it was recorded inside a metal drum, backed by an ethereal little melody.

But early on, the Comas demonstrate that they are not just a dreampop band, with vaguely fuzzy rock like "Tonight on the WB." Some songs fizz like an old soda, like "Invisible Drugs" and "Employment." A small exception to the rock-pop mix is "Hologram," which sounds a lot like a folk song, heavy on the acoustic guitar and steady percussion. It's a track that grounds the rest of the album, if just barely. Most of it is still floating.

Reportedly "Conductor" was inspired by all those viewings of "Dark City," a movie that can definitely warp the way you see the world. For a few hours, at least. The album is far less harsh than that film, bringing to mind delicate futuristic landscapes, moonlit planets, and dark skies that happen to have stars in them.

Their music is constantly surprising, especially in the final track -- a single wavering note erupts into a roaring rocker. Guitar and percussion are put to good use, whether it's a bright, childlike melody or a Pixies-style rocker. And the bass does especially well, giving us plenty of droning fuzz that adds a rock edge to even the poppier numbers.

Andy Herod has one of those rare voice that sounds otherworldly no matter what he's singing about. And you can hear some real emotion under the I'm-a-bit-stoned vocals -- reportedly some of the songs were written about his ex-girlfriend, Michelle Williams (yes, the gal from "Dawson's Creek"). That accounts for the dismally romantic tone. "I love it when you fall apart/You turn it into higher art/we see it in your eyes.../you're so rich with meaning."

The Comas provide a masterpiece in their third album "Conductor." Though it's reminiscent of the Shins and Modest Mouse, the Comas prove that they are the only ones on their private planet.

Much will likely be made of the influences on this album. It will range from the Smashing Pumpkins to Superchunk. But when I listen I hear kind of a bizarre mixture of Jimmy Eat World and '90s alt-rock act Hum. In many ways the Comas actually bear a striking resembalance to Hum. Conductor shares a penchant for science-fiction lyricism that Hum reveled in. There's also the fuzzed out rockers in "Tonight on the WB" and "Invisible Drugs." But most telling is "Oh God," which sounds like it was pulled right from You'd Prefer An Astronaut.

This isn't to demean the Comas because they write excellect music. I compare them to Hum because there's a strange resembalance and both bands are/were supremely negelected by mainstream radio. "Invisible Drugs" is a song that is good but also seems as if it should fit in on rock radio where we're still feeling the wrath of grunge-inspired wanna-bes like Seether, and the psuedo-metal of Poppa Roach. For whatever reason, though, the Comas aren't getting the attention they deserve. And that's a shame because the songs offered are extremely compelling.

The two best here are probably the synth-heavy "The Last Transmission" and the understated "Oh God." Neither are heavy in their approach, but they both make great use of atmosphere. The former sounds like some beautifully lucid dream, where you are floating among the clouds. The latter is a downbeat love song that leaves you in a druggy haze of colors and sounds. Together they form a beautiful sort of narrative. Love brings you up in a mass of confusion and anticipation, and then it falls apart not in a smoldering fury, but a silent whimper that allows you to remember how good it was when you look back.

I heard Moon Rainbow from a compilation one of my friends made and loved it. I bought it. I am somewhat pleased with it. The Comas sound a lot like Catherine from back in the 90's "Moon Rainbow" is a great song as well as "Dirty South" and "Oh God". Some really good Steel Pedal guitar work. The problem with this album is it doesn't keep my interest all the way through. I seem to drift off and think of other things when this CD is playing. Still there are good songs here. This is the only CD that I have purchased, I might some day go back and revisit some of their previous work, but not anytime soon.

Have you ever wondered what your favorite album would be like if it were a movie? The Comas took that daring step by releasing "Conductor" on two discs. Disc One is simply the music. Disc Two is "Conductor: The Movie."

"Conductor" is a story of love and loss told through psychedelic pop. It is the story of Andy Herod (writer/guitars/vocals). Following a breakup with a long-time girlfriend, Herod spent the winter at a house on the North Carolina coast. With nothing but a four-track and an acoustic guitar, he put down his words. He would then finish every night by watching Alex Proyas' sci-fi film Dark City. Something truly special was at work in that house on the Atlantic coast. What came out is true, poetic, and emotional.

When it came time to sequence the album, the band saw a real story developing and the whole thing just fell into place. The band got Brent Bonacorso to animate the story. He put together a strange, stylish movie filled with robots, towers, stars, snow, and a cast of characters that includes a smoking, dark-haired woman played by Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek). The movie, driven by the album's incredible music, is at times dull and repetitive, but can also be very powerful and compelling. The best scenes in the movie include "The Science of Your Mind", "Tonight on the WB", "Oh God", and "Falling", also four of the best songs.

The lyrics on "Conductor" are refreshing. So many bands sound amazing, but you probably don't want to look too closely at their lyrics. "Invisible Drugs" is a psychedelic rocker, with the lyrics: "Slow death blues/ you got one thing right/ Icy hammers ring on sunshine/ pink balloons as big as mountains/ levitate the sound of summer." On "Tonight on the WB", Herod sings: "I love it when you fall apart/ you turn it into higher art/ we see it in your eyes/ but your lips never part." Finally, on the amazing closer, "Falling", he sings: "You are falling through outer space/ but it's okay/ cuz you're coming back someday/ and I am crawling through outer space/ but it's okay/ cuz you'll pick me up someday."

"Conductor" deserves a number of close listens and viewings. This upbeat, cinematic release should be celebrated and remembered for quite some time.

Great CD. 95% of the music I like is very heavy, loud and angry, so Comas aren't my norm, but the entire CD is simply delicious, ranging from swirling, fist pumping rockers, to gentle, ethereal tear jerkers. I drove from LA to SanDiego just to see these guys live at the Casbah, one of the nation's best small clubs, and a great place to see your favorite up and coming band in an intimate environment. They sounded great. Masterful songwriting and production, with tons of soul. Why isn't a band this good signed and on the air?

I picked up this album on a whim after seeing an ad for it pop up in the corner of one of those listening stations at the virgin megastore. the ad said something like, the comas "are flying under the radar." it was right. this is a great CD. this disc is alot better than 99% of the more mainstream stuff out there. and, after you get hooked on the music, you can watch the movie, which takes it to another level. A+ album.

Finally somebody actually made a full-length movie to go along with their album. I've always dreamed of that happening and The Comas have done it. Not only is it a great movie, but the CD is incredible. I've actually only been a fan of The Comas for about 6 months after reading a pitchforkmedia.com review of this album. I went out and found their second album, A Def Needle In Tomorrow and went crazy over it. Conductor, the bands third album (to my knowledge) seems more secure of itself and possesses a great feel-good vibe throughout the entire thing (although it is rumored it is a break-up CD...). I'd suggest listening to the CD a few times through and get a feel for it before you watch the DVD of Conductor. The DVD definitely puts an impression in your head and it's interesting to see the difference between what you envision and what the director/band envisioned.

Review by Cory Rennison:

While I've never personally been in a state of a coma, there's something about The Comas album, Conductor, that will ironically make you feel like you almost are. With an experimental side reminiscent of The Flaming Lips, and another side that has a hint of grunge, The Comas are bringing you along for a ride through an awkward aural and visual journey that you won't be able to escape until the album is finished.

When the album first starts, there's an eerie feeling to this band. Besides your normal clean guitars and bass, there's plenty of synth, acoustic guitars, pianos, and even a pedal steel guitar. The reverb on the drums is tweaked from time to time to add to the "out of this world" sound, which really makes some of the tracks quite pleasurable. For a little bit, it seemed like The Comas were trying to go for something soft and digital sounding on this album, but these moments are often interrupted, at random, by grunge sounding songs, or sometimes just generic sounding rock songs. While the heavier tracks aren't bad, they really threw off what could have been a great experimental release.

The vocals were something that was done perfectly on this album. Nicole and Andy make such a great duo that you can't even imagine any other vocalists singing on this CD. While the audio CD itself has some random moments, the bonus DVD seems to come completely out of nowhere. The DVD is labeled as Conductor: The Movie, possibly indicating that this is a concept album, but the movie doesn't really seem to have a point except to serve as a visual while you listen to the album. If there was a concept, I certainly didn't get it. Even a DVD featuring a few live performances would have served as better supplemental material.

What it boils down to is that Conductor is a great CD to relax to or have playing in the background, but The Comas fell into the inconsistency trap with this album and it kept the band from making something epic.