In this age of irony, some say the pendulum is swinging again towards artistic sincerity. While there has been much speculation as to Bobby Conn"s artistic and ideological intentions, The Golden Age pegs him as one of the most sincerely entertaining songsmiths of our time. Conn is the consummate performer, donning masks and making concept albums with his tongue so far in his cheek you"d swear he was dead serious. A mainstay in the experimental Chicago rock tradition, his latest record has been described as a distillation of "a lifetime of Midwestern Top 40." If you think you hear some references to Judas Priest"s "You"ve Got Another Thing Comin" on "Pumper," you"re probably right, but that"s not all you"ll hear. On this truly postmodern tract, Conn continues to make theatrical pop-funk culled from the darker corners of American consciousness, contemplating (often in a soulful falsetto) revolution, evolution, and angels while violin player Monica BouBou rallies him on with soaring melodies and backup vocals. With help from U.S. Maple"s Pat Samson, Michael Zerang, Fred Longberg-Holm, and Cheer-Accident"s Thymme Jones, these songs resonate with countermelody and movement in a dynamic production that could only be described as a period piece, an exquisitely arranged rock opera of excess. Still, no element whatsoever is superfluous; Jim O"Rourke and Tortoise"s John McEntire add the perfect amount of polish. --Cyndi Elliott