{"id":593,"date":"2019-11-14T03:28:25","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T03:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/?page_id=593"},"modified":"2019-11-22T23:04:34","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T23:04:34","slug":"the-legal-matters-conrad","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mikedeangelis.com\/2019\/the-legal-matters-conrad\/","title":{"rendered":"The Legal Matters: Conrad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Legal Matters: Conrad is <\/em><\/strong>available for purchase from The Legal Matters’ Website<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Legal Matters<\/strong> are <\/em>Keith Klingensmith<\/em><\/strong> (who also owns and operates <\/em>Futureman Records<\/em><\/a><\/strong>), <\/em>Andy Reed<\/em><\/strong>, and <\/em>Chris Richards<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Legal Matters<\/strong> have achieved something that qualifies as an exception to the rules…I can tell you about the influences and inspirations behind the music, starting with the Who<\/strong>-derived name of the band itself. I can tell you that, in the big picture, the songs have harmony-rich vocals front and center, on a bed of the whole “Echo In The Canyon”<\/em><\/strong> mid-60s Beach Boys<\/strong> \/ Byrds<\/strong> \/ Beatles<\/strong> trifecta. All of that becomes meaningless when you listen to the album, because this band doesn’t “sound like” anyone…they’ve managed to take all of those classic elements and emerge with something that is fresh, unique, inspiring, and totally the product of the musicians involved. In the simplest of terms, they have crafted an 11-song, 37-minute masterpiece that thoroughly obliterates whatever public conception may exist regarding “indie” musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve long said that I find it to be a meaningless term, something that defines a band without a major label contract, and that many “indie” musicians are currently making music that is equal to or superior to anything you’ve ever heard from the “majors.” Here’s your proof of that.<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I played the album several times, front to back, and shelved my review, because there was nothing I could say about this in an “analytical” manner. It defies analysis, it’s just damned good. I heard the first 8 songs, 29 minutes total, and every song was a wonderful, beautifully crafted gem. Then I got to track 9, “Hip Hooray,”<\/strong> and that’s right about the time when my jaw hit the floor and I had to set this piece aside to reconsider what, if anything, I could tell you about this album that would do it justice. How could this song show up after the album had already earned its stripes after the first eight?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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