Consonant - Love And Affliction

Fenway Recordings, based in Boston, is putting out an astonishing amount of really great records. From garage rockers Read Yellow, to NYC darlings Longwave, and now a great second effort by Clint Conley's band Consonant. Love And Affliction leaves behind Conley's former band Mission Of Burma's more punk sound for something more post-punk (god, could that sound more vague?). Instead of straight ahead compositions Mission Of Burma used to churn out, you'll hear slightly more dreamier material here, thanks to ex-Come guitarist Chris Brokaw's excellent parts. Left behind are the themes of Mission Of Burma's punk youth, and instead an emphasis is placed on mid-life issues. Conley is now a father and has been almost 20 years removed from performing with a band, so the subject matter he writes about now makes Love And Affliction like a rebirth for Conley. You would never expected Conley to ever sing something like "I rush to beat the school bus / I can't stand another hour / Without their precious smiles" in any of his previous efforts. It makes the work on this one seem more believable, more personable, and more real. Mission Of Burma has since reformed and are preparing a new album and tour as I write this; I just hope Conley doesn't shelve the Consonant project totally, as this is a perfect compliment to the work he did with Burma. This CD is definitely worth a listen if you're a fan of the "post-punk" sound. This is one of the best, by one of the people essentially responsible for the genre's birth. [www.consonant.cc ]