Conrad L. Hall was a legendary cinematographer, with credits including In Cold Blood, Cool Hand Luke, and American Beauty. And director John Ford made over 100 films, among them the seminal westerns Stagecoach and The Searchers.

Seattle duo Conrad Ford—multi-instrumentalists Andy McAllister and Jordan Walton—chose to cobble those two great film monikers into one, partially because it sounded cool, but also, as a reflection of their distinctive aesthetic. "I always liked the look of Conrad Hall's films," says McAllister (who is a film editor by day). "The name just seemed to fit in terms of the music we were playing, full of wandering characters in big, open, scenic places."

Don't You Miss Yourself, the debut full-length from Conrad Ford, features 10 evocative, sepia-toned vignettes that showcase McAllister's weathered voice and thumbnail-sketch lyrics. The material is reminiscent of Eels, Folk Implosion, or Sparklehorse.

The project began taking shape back in 2004. McAllister had just wrapped up a spell residing in Austin, Texas, and, upon returning to Seattle, wanted to build on the music he'd experienced there. "Austin had this completely different musical landscape," he recalls. "I really got into Townes Van Zandt and Daniel Johnston. Both of those guys fueled a lot of the local musicians down there, so people were feeding me tapes of them." He also cites "the whole Hank Williams factor" as a new influence on his aesthetic.

McAllister knew he wanted to collaborate with a steel-guitar player, and Walton's name was familiar to him from session work. "It was a perfect fit when I came across Jordan. He played pedal steel and banjo, so many instruments, plus he can sing two octaves above me."

The two quickly clicked. "I would come with a very sparse guitar part and some lyrics. And, from there, Jordan filled in the blanks. He built everything around that, and, grasping a mood or a moment, pushed the song in a certain direction."

The disc also features performances on the Omnichord (an oddball electronic instrument favored by Devo), ukulele, mandolin, melodica, and accordion—as well as guests contributing cello, trumpet, and, on "Don't You Miss Yourself," singing saw. Yet the album never feels kitchen-sink cluttered... and that was by design.

"Sparse was the word we kept coming back to. We wanted the music to come from this very small space, and build around that, and give each song its own personality. We didn't want to over-bake anything."

Conrad Ford expands to a quartet for live performances, such as their CD-release party this Friday, September 8, at the Sunset. The overall sound, says McAllister, is a little fuller, and will undoubtedly color the material on their next record. But for now, the quiet integrity of Don't You Miss Yourself still hovers over the concert experience. "We're not kicking out any stadium jams just yet."

kurt@thestranger.com