Conrad - Never WOuld Have Guessed We Were All Blessed

This Canadian band play heartfelt indie-guitar-rock a la Straitjacket Fits(and other NZ bands from the same era), Lloyd Cole, Pernice Brothers, Gingersol, Galaxie 500 and early Toad The Wet Sprocket - expansive atmospheres and highly polished arrangements. The feel here is ambitious and all the songs are sweetly filled with layers of vocals and affects - it`s a sublime, highly-textured, multi-layered sound. The gentle jangles and well-crafted mosaics cover each song with memorable,quiet melodies. "..underneath Larry Lechners easy delivery and the rest of the bands cool, understated textures, there are essentially stealth melodies?tunes that get their hooks in without the listener even realizing it and then dont let go. One exception is Air Strike, a song as immediately gorgeous as anything from Rogue Wave or the Shins, or any of the new wave of pop groups mining similar Brian Wilson/Ray Davies territory. Conrads approach is a little more twangy and even shoegazerish at times, but the band is coming from the same place as the finest tunesmiths?boy gets girl, boy loses girl, and boy writes a great song, hoping to lure girl back. Does it work? Probably not, but at least we get a fine record out of the deal."-Straight.com. " One of the best local discs we`ve heard in awhile, Conrad`s Never Would Have Guessed We Were All Blessed is as graceful, tasteful and sweet as its title. The second album from the band, the disc features guitarist/singer Larry Lechner`s hook-filled pop and includes an animated video for the criminally catchy "Airstrike," which is getting some attention from MuchMusic."-Vancourier.com. Very Highly Recommended!