Album Review – Conrad Fisher’s “Homemade”

Bringing acrimony to every corner and crevice of American life in the foolish notion that our enemy is each other has robbed us of so much of the joy of living, including in music where you can’t simply enjoy a record without being told it’s some conscious choice to align yourself on one side of the cultural divide or the other.
It makes you fear that gone are the days when you could just slip a Don Williams record out of its sleeve, and the dulcet, soothing voice of the Gentle Giant would reset your entire world, subduing frayed nerves, compartmentalizing cares, bringing perspective to worries, and reminding you what a gift it is to just breathe and be.
Thankfully though, Pennsylvania-born singer and songwriter Conrad Fisher isn’t convinced of this outcome, and does his level best to recapture that decompressing quality of a carefully crafted song in this 12-song set aptly titled Homemade. Handling most of the instrumentation himself, it’s fair to call Homemade homespun with its fairly skeleton production and simple approach. But like an afternoon spent tending a garden, or a long talk with your grandfather, reading a book on a sunny window sill, or sipping a jar of tea on a hot day, it’s the simple pleasure in it that sets you straight.
Homemade comes after Conrad Fisher’s own personal reset. Spending three years in Nashville trying to make it as a songwriter while hauling cadavers for Williamson Memorial to help make ends meet, he was finally able to land a publishing deal, but decided he’d had enough, and headed back to the farm in Pennsylvania. Growing up of Amish descent, he naturally yearns for the slower approach to life, and that comes through in his music, and infers the first song from the album, Bobby Charles’s “Tennessee Blues”—one of the few songs Conrad didn’t write, but one that still feels personal and wholly appropriate.

The plan was to record this album with a full fledged band. But COVID restrictions put a crimp in that scheme. This isn’t meant to be the finished product of Conrad Fisher the songwriter, just the start. But the songwriting certainly sifts this project to the top of the heap for those on the search for quality songcraft, and the music compliments this by putting the song first.
Homemade isn’t all positive thoughts and puppy dog tales, though. Stoking gratefulness is not all about acting life isn’t full of rough turns and tragedy. In fact many of the songs are about meeting with death and troubles head on in a way that builds commiseration for others out there who have been through similar experiences, whether it’s the death of a loved one, or dealing with someone in the throes of addiction. Conrad writes in a way where his music is strongly influenced by the earliest foundational narratives of country, but re-imagined in a way that always feels very personal to both himself, and to the audience.
“Undertaker” takes many of the ideas found in “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” and makes them digestible to the modern audience. “Reasons and Rhymes” is just the kind of sappy love song we used to hear so many more of, and has unfortunately fallen out-of-style in popular music. “Hello Sunshine” reminds you starkly of Buck Owens, and the simple appeal of West Coast country. Homemade is not perfect since it was a done from a deficit of resources, but it most certainly sets a strong foundation for a songwriter we hope to hear more from in the future.
So much of happiness is simply making up your mind to be so, and putting on the right perspective. With so many people looking to profiteer from division these days, and the attention economy predicated upon pitting people against each other, we need antidotes such as the songs of Conrad Fisher to restore equilibrium, and remind us that the pursuit of happiness is what we’re all after, and sometimes the easiest route to it is to offer sunshine to somebody else.
7.5/10
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Purchase from Conrad Fisher
January 30, 2021 @ 9:50 am
Also want to point out real quick, this is the same Conrad Fisher who is a regular contributor to these comments sections. So if you’re wondering if it’s the same dude, you’re right!
January 30, 2021 @ 10:15 am
Well, Cool, because this guy has it going on.
January 30, 2021 @ 11:03 am
Thank you for this thoughtful review. Credit goes to Zachariah Malachi for the profile shot you used. 🙂
May 29, 2021 @ 9:42 pm
How can I buy the cd, while the ages roll that you sing?
January 30, 2021 @ 11:13 am
Real excited about this album. First spin was really good! Keep up the good work!
January 30, 2021 @ 11:23 am
I approve of your music Conrad! Good stuff. I agree with Trig that the Hello Good Times song is very Bakersfield. Trig suggested Buck, I was thinking Wynn Stewart, but either way its west coast. Wasted puts me in mind of Rodney Crowell, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. Yeah, this is excellent.
January 30, 2021 @ 10:43 pm
Yeah, I agree with the comparison to Wynn Stewart, one of the big founders of the Bakersfield Sound. Conrad, if you’re not familiar with him beyond Wishful Thinking or Playboy, I’d recommend doing a deeeep dive through all the different-sounding things he did. He’s had a similar voice as yours and he is a master class in country vocal expressiveness regardless of which flavor of country he was doing.
January 30, 2021 @ 11:31 am
Well hello, good Conrad Fisher. I like this a lot. Whereabouts in PA?
January 30, 2021 @ 1:19 pm
Thanks Corncaster! Port Royal. Between Harrisburg and State College. I love it out here. Holler at me if you’re ever passing by on 322.
January 30, 2021 @ 1:53 pm
Well I’ll be … my uncle raised horses south of Centre Hall, just over the mountain. He passed away about ten years ago and would have loved your music. I love that part of the country. When I was a kid, we used to come out east on 22 and somehow got on 45. I remember a hairpin coming down the sharp side of a mountain. Stay well. If I’m ever out that way again, I’ll give you a holler. Keep up the good work.
January 30, 2021 @ 4:27 pm
Hahaha! That is so cool. I was just up in Centre Hall to buy a table saw. Yeah. Small world.
January 31, 2021 @ 3:36 pm
Port Royal has an awesome Dirt Track! 410 Sprint cars are BAD fast there.
If I were younger it would be on my bucket list-
July 19, 2022 @ 3:00 pm
Port Royal?
I attended school near Harrisburg. I drove past Port Royal all the time on 322.
Didn’t realize you were a fellow Keystoner.
January 30, 2021 @ 11:52 am
This young man does music that is heart felt and good for your soul. There are times his music talks to you, there are times that it appears that he is looking through your eyes with some of the songs as they hit that close to home. One day I know this young man will be known with the great one.
January 30, 2021 @ 11:54 am
Good stuff! Pure country music!
January 30, 2021 @ 12:42 pm
Purchased. Skeleton production and simple approach is right up my alley. Great job on the Stephen Foster cover! I will listen in depth once it arrives.
Also, I’ve never heard the term “attention economy” before, but it makes a lot of sense. Very fine writing by Trigger in the last paragraph of this review.
January 30, 2021 @ 1:01 pm
“It makes you fear that gone are the days when you could just slip a Don Williams record out of its sleeve, and the dulcet, soothing voice of the Gentle Giant would reset your entire world, subduing frayed nerves, compartmentalizing cares, bringing perspective to worries, and reminding you what a gift it is to just breathe and be.”
The Gentle Giant still does that for me.
January 30, 2021 @ 1:57 pm
That SOB Don Williams, I still can’t hear McDill’s line, “I can still hear the soft southern winds in the live oak trees,” without just about having to pull over.
January 30, 2021 @ 2:59 pm
Honest reaction, I think he’s got the chops to do this on his own.
“Wake Me When It’s Over”
“Undertaker”
“Wasted”
“Never Been Good at Goodbye”
I found those songs to be absolutely brilliant, and was completely floored by the songwriting. The “Tennessee Blues” and “Hard Times” covers were a nice touch too.
My only issue with the album is that stylistically, the 6 tracks noted above made some of the others in the middle feel out of place in a single album. I try not to judge that, given I’m sure COVID played a large part in how this release played out, but I might have preferred it as a homogeneous EP.
Nonetheless, I plan on buying the album to support the artist – especially since he’s a member of the SCM community, and hope others will do the same! The future is bright here.
January 30, 2021 @ 3:09 pm
Yep, done.
January 30, 2021 @ 3:33 pm
Conrad is the real deal in every single way. He is an amazing songwriter and an amazing person. He is my buddy and co-writer to some great songs we have collaborated on. I’m proud to know him.
January 30, 2021 @ 4:56 pm
These two songs made me feel happy.
January 30, 2021 @ 5:36 pm
Holy crap Conrad,
See the above ^ for some high praise, indeed.
Good one Honky.
January 31, 2021 @ 10:35 pm
whoa
January 30, 2021 @ 5:12 pm
Great piece, Trigger. “Wasted” grabbed me. Someone mentioned echos of Rodney Crowell, and I agree (Crowell is the top of the mountain for me).
Well done, Conrad; best of luck. Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.
January 30, 2021 @ 5:55 pm
wow ….the care in the song-crafting , the performances and the production all add up to as nice an album as I’ve heard in a long time . there are a lot of classic pop influences at work here , to my ear , from buddy holly to john mellencamp to buck , james taylor , , and even a bit of everly brothers at times . if you are going to be informed by songs ,THESE artists have the market cornered on ” timeless” so kudos to THIS artist for embracing and incorporating that .
January 30, 2021 @ 10:30 pm
I liked the album a lot too Conrad. It was definitely simple but in a way it’s refreshing for my ears to have a break from full band productions.
Also could totally hear the Buck Owens influence on Hello Good Times!
I’m the guy who played steel on “Never Been Good At Goodbye” in case anyone cares, lol.
January 31, 2021 @ 11:07 am
We care lol.
January 31, 2021 @ 6:53 am
Really enjoying this!
January 31, 2021 @ 8:04 am
Haven’t had time to dig into the whole album yet, but what I’ve heard is really good. Great review too.
January 31, 2021 @ 8:40 am
Conrad – really enjoyed the album. Thanks for calling attention to it @trigger.
January 31, 2021 @ 8:47 am
Based on the two songs above, I’ll be adding this to my daily rotation. Especially appreciate the writing. Feels real to me. Thanks for the tip.
January 31, 2021 @ 10:19 am
Wow, really like it! Congrats Conrad…
January 31, 2021 @ 1:15 pm
This is a great album. Awesome new artist for me to get behind
January 31, 2021 @ 3:33 pm
I like, no, I REALLY like the not over produced- it sets it apart and gives credibility to the 2 songs in the write up- I even like your voice, which coming from me is something to behold since I don’t care for many now days!
Good job!
January 31, 2021 @ 9:38 pm
I’m working up a big Reddit post about Trigger’s review and the various Conrad online channels (I’ll crosspost it around on Monday morning to the various country subs when more people are online). I noticed that Hello Good Times is missing from the album playlist under the ‘conrad fisher- topic’ automated youtube channel. Should we not be linking to it there? (I’m putting together a youtube playlist I’d like to put it on otherwise I”d just use Spotify)
February 1, 2021 @ 8:06 am
Vocally, sounds a little like Buck Owens…and that’s not a bad thing.
February 1, 2021 @ 9:32 pm
Great sounding tunes!
Very cool that we are listening to a regular commenter on this site!
Incidentally, like “DJ” commenting above, my eyes lit up when I heard Port Royal mentioned. My bucket list includes a trip to the famous Port Royal Speedway to see the PA Posse do their thing (maybe a long time before I get there, as I’m an Aussie).