i wish there was more guitar shredding, dokken style. and, there should be real bombastic drums that are soooo intense that you can actually hear the drummer doing that twisty-twirling thing with the sticks betwixt his fingers. in addition, i was hoping to find a hidden track to disrupt the continuity of the album.
other than that, a real frigging gem!
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Artificial Junk is just a wonderful album. It has all the quirks and layers you come to love about a CD you can listen to all the way through, over and over. Its got the same pop hook technology I adore in "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", with the occasional melancholy of "Sea Change", and the production forethought of Joeseph Arthur or AIR. But it's not really like anything else I've heard too. To make comparisons too often suggests that something is contrived and this is not. Such a perfect blend of good lyrics and fine multi faceted production. Even some excellent instrumental tracks. I just can't believe it hasn't been picked up by a major independant label. I mean this guy doesn't even have a website. This is one of the few slam dunks out there for truly undiscovered independant artists. I am eagerly awaiting the next album. In the meantime, YOU should buy this one.
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More interesting layers to peel away than that sunburn from 6th grade. Unique in its ability to grow on you after a few listens, Conrad seems to draw more from the old school long play albums with their subtle layered feels vs. today's rock/pop tunes being spit out for some air play.  Give this one at least a couple of weeks of listening to let it sink in so you can most from it. Conrad writes the type of music that will stay fresh at the top of the CD stack, while other CD's get tired and settle to the bottom of the pile after the first month.
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Andy Conrad: Artificial Junk (SeaRad Music)
Occasionally, an artist from our fair city releases a super-clean and crisply produced disc of well-written, progressive-sounding material that is more than worthy of being found on record store shelves nationwide. Artificial Junk, the latest solo disc from former Colony member Andy Conrad, is a prime example of CDs that fall into this all-too-elusive category. Written and recorded in Conrad’s cleverly titled home-based BassMint studios, the 16 tracks are primarily cut from the same fabric that artists such as Elliot Smith used, but there also are a fair number of odd but appealing Ween-like instrumentals (“Birthday Collage,” “Sailing for Lanai,” “Bright Eyes Worn Off”). 
Conrad is both the captain and crew of this ship; he plays all of the instruments himself, which include unusual oddities such as buckets, chairs, and what he refers to as “gadgets.” He also designed the colorful, swirling images on the CD’s covers. Bits of additional musical and engineering contributions are provided on a few tracks by some of Conrad’s friends and colleagues. Conrad has made a complete departure from the Colony sound, now focusing on creating a more forward-thinking style that he can truly call his own.
Artificial Junk is available at Wherehouse Music or cdbaby.com. (MU)
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