Review by DONNA BALANCIA
– LOS ANGELES – Vince Conrad has produced a thought-provoking and wide-ranging collection of songs for his new album, “Hall of Frames,” which is perhaps his best solo album to date. Through “Hall of Frames” the veteran songwriter and punk rocker takes on the desires of today’s tech-driven culture, along with its pressures. The album seamlessly guides listeners from the depths of streetwise punk and snarl to upbeat synth and crooning, eclectic love.
The lead track on “Hall of Frames,” is “Facebook Superstar,” a humorous rocker that looks at new society’s most common addiction through the eyes of what used to be called a “wanna-be,” but today is commonly known as a social media “influencer.” People can’t seem to see enough of themselves on social media and that can often lead to their own ridiculous demise, Conrad seems to say.
“I know a lot of people who spend way too much time on Facebook and other social media sites,” Conrad said. “‘Facebook Superstar’ is a lighthearted satire about a young woman who’s obsessed with sharing every aspect of her life on social media.”
“Facebook Superstar” features the background vocals of Starry Winter who appears courtesy of Ebae Bongos.
Conrad uses Rock ‘n’ Roll rhythm guitars, horns and keys to carry the lyrical story with a blazing lead guitar on the break. The song is further embellished at the end with full and harmonious background vocals performed by Winter. The “Facebook Superstar” track is sure to make listeners smile.
“Hall of Frames” marks a long-awaited return to recording for Conrad, whose last record is from 2018. His previous EPs include “Alimentary Fantasies” and “Transition.”
While his songwriting has evolved through the years, Conrad stays true to his punk rock roots.
“‘Hall of Frames’ is not a punk record per se, but there are elements of first-generation punk and new wave sprinkled throughout,” Conrad said. “The concept of the ‘Hall of Frames’ album is a play on words referring to the Hall of Fame.”
Conrad’s hallway at home is adorned with memorabilia of his entire life in music, mostly of his old punk bands, the Aliens, the Smart Pills and American Bad Taste.
“As I look at those posters which cover many years of my life I think about where it has all led,” he said. “That led to the ‘Hall of Frames’ album and I really think it’s one of the best I’ve put together.”
“Hall of Frames” has been long awaited, and the tracklist variety leaves the listener not knowing exactly what will come next.
For example, “Let It Go” the first track on the album, starts out like a typical rock song. But then evolves into an orchestral motif and then further into electronic drums and lead guitar in the middle. It finally ends with an organ and synthesizer instrumental break at the end, all while maintaining that heavy rock feel throughout the song.
Check out ‘Facebook Superstar’ here:
The next song, “Hollywood,” changes the pace a bit and highlights Conrad’s vocal ability and range. He uses a 12-string guitar, an acoustic guitar and two additional electric guitars under the verse vocal, creating a somewhat haunting and soaring effect.
“I wrote the song about the impoverished musicians and actors seeking fame in Hollywood and never finding it,” Conrad said. “I drew from my own experiences while living in my car for two years on the streets of Hollywood when I was younger.”
“Roxy’s Roadhouse” the third song on the album is intense and centers around a Taiko Japanese drum track over which the rest of the song was written. The sound of Taiko drums is featured prominently and the song is crafted around the drums.
“Roxy’s Roadhouse,” “Facebook Superstar,” “Animal Love,” “Traffic Prophylactic,” “American Refugee” and “Day Drinking” are all songs on the album which are mildly humorous and distinctly different in both style and instrumentation.
In this time of divide in the U.S., does Conrad have any political songs on the album?
“If I do, it would only be ‘Why Can’t We,’ which is almost a folk song that simply asks in the chorus ‘why we can’t go back to where we were before?'” he said. “It would be nice to go back to a time before all the division in the country and heated political commentary. ‘Now I Wonder’ is another song on the album that you don’t expect to hear but again is a pleasant surprise.
“I wrote ‘Now I Wonder’ about my son when he boy went off to the Navy right out of high school.
“Pretty Binding,” another upbeat song on the album, is a play on words that uses the metaphor of a book at the end of the song to tell the story of a failed love relationship. Vince also solos on organ in the break and at the end giving the song yet again a different feel than the previous tunes.
Finally, in “Sugar Mill,” Conrad pokes fun at friends and fellow musicians in the LA area to whom he enjoys listening. The ballad-style track covers the interesting characters in the LA scene and the song has characters reminiscent of a Lou Reed song.
“Hall of Frames” is great because of its range. While it’s reminiscent of albums from the 1960s in that many of those records also contained very different tracks, it also blends common themes and approach. After waiting seven years for a new Vince Conrad record, he did not disappoint with the “Hall of Frames.”
All songs on the album were written and recorded by Vince Conrad in 2025 at the Vince Conrad Productions studio in Los Angeles, Calif.
The album “Hall of Frames” and the single “Facebook Superstar” are now available for sale on the Vince Conrad Productions website under the “Store” tab.
‘Hall of Frames’ Tracklist:
Let It Go
Hollywood
Roxy’s Roadhouse
Facebook Superstar
Animal Love
Traffic Prophylactic
Now I Wonder
Pretty Binding
American Refugee
Why Cant We
Sugar Mill
Day Drinking
Listen / Purchase ‘Hall of Frames’ here: