Search - Comas :: Conductor

Underappreciated Talent

AngryChairr | Reading, PA | 07/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

It's Ok.

Matthew Culver | Dallas, TX | 02/10/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Brilliant little-known album

Josh Bledsoe | Pleasant Hill, Ohio USA | 02/26/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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.

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