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Health & Fitness

Joliet Musician John Condron to Celebrate Release of New Album

Singer/songwriter John Condron of Joliet will celebrate the release of his new CD Saturday, Sept. 1, at Chicago Street Pub.

Singer/songwriter John Condron weaves compelling tales of love, loss and longing on his latest album, “…if any or at all.”

Set for a Sept. 1 release by Flipside Works, Condron’s fifth studio effort showcases his intricate acoustic guitar stylings and features well-placed drums, keyboards and other accompaniment in spots. The album was recorded at Joliet’s Third City Sound, and coproducers Dave Lill plays drums and Bill Aldridge contributes horns and vocals on a few tracks.

The 11 tracks are songs Condron has written and performed on acoustic guitar over the past year. Much of his previous work as a recording and performing artist was with a band—John Condron and the Benefit—and Condron shines as a solo artist. “…if any or at all” is a fine collection of catchy riffs, infectious melodies and thoughtful lyrics.

The Philadelphia native and current Joliet resident performs regularly at Joliet’s Chicago Street Pub, home to a vibrant musical community of local and touring acts. Condron often takes to the road as well, playing East Coast dates and as far away as Ireland.

Condron is a tunesmith who inconveniently resists categorization. Calling him an “Indie rock” artist would fail to capture the personal nature of his work, which bears similarities to artists like Death Cab For Cutie and Michael McDermott. One can detect influences that range from traditional Irish folk music to The Who. He’s an original whose songs contain melodic phrases that stick with you, like the warm feeling of seeing a note from Mom tucked into a lunch sack.

The album opens with “Town of Mirrors,” an energetic number that showcases Condron’s strong voice and keen ear. Throughout “…if any or at all,” one appreciates the well-chosen sounds that accompany Condron’s singing and guitar playing. His slide guitar playing on songs like “Cards” and “Darkroom” is sheer pleasure to enjoy.

Condron’s mastery of the songwriting craft is evident on numbers like “The Old Gang” and “Improvising Gabriel.” He’s skilled at structuring the gently rising and ebbing of a song’s intensity. Some numbers, like “To A Boy” and “Ship Song,” can fill a listener with a sense of satisfaction akin to a hot meal and warm bed after a hard day’s manual labor.

If there’s a criticism to be made, this listener struggled to make out some of the lyrics. Maybe it’s the subtle Philadelphia accent or the overall strength of the musical performance that makes a few of the words hard to understand at points.

One thing this listener can say with certainty is that everything about “…if any or at all” is of the highest quality: the songwriting, the performances, the recording, even the photography (by Wilco photographer Zoran Orlic). This album plays like a fine bottle of Scotch whiskey, or a superbly crafted quilt destined to be handed down for generations.

Who: Joliet singer/songwriter John Condron
What: CD release party for new album, “…if any or at all.”
When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1
Where: Chicago Street Pub, 75 N. Chicago St., Joliet
Web: www.johncondron.com

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