Boy meets girl. Two-year relationship ensues. Love fizzles and boy consequently loses girl. This typical relationship/breakup sequence, felt by nearly everyone at one time or another, is encompassed in the third musical endeavor from rock-pop band the Comas.

Reflecting lead singer Andy Herod’s long-term relationship with Michelle Williams (of “Dawson’s Creek” fame), Conductor serves up a large dose of heartache and a wide range of emotions, all set to unearthly ethereal sounds and indie pop vocals.

The Comas, which includes the musical prowess of Andy Herod, Nicole Gehweiler, Cameron Weeks and Justin Williams, produced Conductor after Herod retreated to a North Carolina-coast beach house following the fateful breakup. It was there, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, a 4-track recorder and a remarkable amount of alcohol, that Herod began channeling his feelings of pain and lost love and setting them to music. According to the group’s website, collaboration with the rest of the band led to “eleven fuzzed-out pop/rock songs that are a monument to the suicide of love against a wintry sci-fi backdrop of dark towers, moonlit skies and a cast of lost characters … or perhaps it is just a breakup record.”

The Comas’ sound is best described as the skillful combination of the Shins’ musicality, the vocals and rhythms of Modest Mouse and the lyrical prowess of bands like Dashboard Confessional, Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service. As an album, Conductor presents a plethora of sounds, which include a mixture of fast-paced techno and synthesizers, dreamy vocals, fuzz guitar and mellow ballads. In essence, it displays the many emotions of a serious breakup in the 44-minute, 11-track CD.

The third album endeavor for the band is started with “The Science of Your Mind,” combining a smooth, ominous sound with the piercing lyrics, “May your days be long and cold / May your mirror come back old / May your visions be too much / May you then think about us.”

Much of Conductor floats, with each song continuing where the last left off. The stream of ethereal airiness is grounded by a few songs, the most notable of which being “Tonight on the WB.” Recently featured as Yahoo Launch’s “Who’s Next?” artist, the song is arguably one of the best tracks on the album. It is permeated with fuzz-rock guitar and conveys an undeniable desperation in Herod’s raw vocals. This type of rawness is also seen in “The Last Transmission,” where Herod’s screaming emotion is supported by piercing electric guitar and juxtaposed by the smooth synthesizer and floating supporting vocals.

Also standing out on the album is the folk-inspired acoustic song “Hologram.” Herod is supported vocally by singer/pianist/guitarist Gehweiler. Singing lyrics like “I get my information from a tube / I’m livin’ on a station without you / You ask me for dimensions I got two / I am a hologram,” the duo is supported by a steady beat and a strong melody.

Conductor winds down with three honest ballads.

With melancholy guitar, gentle melodies and subtle harmonies, “Dirty South” and “Oh God” serve as preludes to the lyrical emotional song “Falling.” Herod sings, “Now the paint chips fall like rain / on the pillow where you slept away your pain / and again and again and again / and I’m stuck here in this room / while you’re tethered to the moon / but you will soon come around / and I’ll be waiting on the ground …” The sequential order of these three songs shows the emotional capacity of the band and its solid delivery of these feelings.

The “indie” music world is expanding and becoming increasingly popular. In a musical world where CDs reflecting heartache and unrequited love are in abundance, the Comas set themselves apart by including with their album a full-length movie, set to the tracks of Conductor. Supported by the talent of director/graphic designer/animator Brent Bonacorso, “Conductor: The Movie” presents a connecting love story featuring Michelle Williams that is set to a science-fiction environment. Inspired by the movie “Dark City”, “Conductor: The Movie” merges live action with impressive animation. While the movie can be repetitive and feel a little long, it is still an innovative and impressive addition to the Comas’ third album.

According to a SPIN Magazine’s “Ten Best Albums You Didn’t Hear,” “With his fuzzbox and tear ducts both maxed out, Andy Herod scripts one of the year’s loveliest breakup dramas.” Conductor takes listeners along for the ride as the Comas present the range of feelings associated with heartache. From songs with an internal anger to ones that make you want to sit and cry, the band’s latest release is one that is musically impressive and lyrically honest. Coupled with “Conductor: The Movie”, the Comas prove their originality and uniqueness in the ever-growing indie rock-pop world.

Grade: A

The Comas are currently gearing up to tour with Dashboard Confessional. More information is available on the band’s website, www.thecomas.com.