With a voice resembling
a young Jackson Browne, Milwaukee's
Conrad Plymouth is a singer-songwriter with a heavier heart and a more indie
musical background than the mellow dude he sounds like. Loathe, Love, Blame, Defend varies between lighter and heavier
sonic textures through its seven songs, until at last it sounds like a folkie
in the midst of a metal squall.
On the journey to that point, Plymouth touches upon an array of influences, from Sufjan Stevens and Dinosaur Jr. to Angelo Badalamenti and Low. Amid it all, forlornness, petulance, wonder, contentment and ennui mix like the psychic makeup of an emo kid grown up to find the world about as disappointing and amazing as he thought it would be once he endured high school. For a debut release, Plymouth already has a mature, distinctive aesthetic. Anyone who has fallen for Bon Iver, Damien Jurado and other atmospheric acoustic storytellers should find room for Plymouth.
