Atlas Sound – Logos (Music Review)
By Andrew Duncan • Dec 27th, 2009 • Category: Categories, Lo-Fi, ReviewsAtlas Sound
Logos
kranky
Rating: 2 out of 5
Links:
Atlas Sound on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/atlassound
kranky: http://www.kranky.net/
Atlas Sound starts out like an even more tormented Smog that’s been bent out of shape. Emerging with space bleeps that dominate the forefront with acoustic dribblings “The Light That Failed” is a clear demonstration of a disjointed figure as Bradford Cox sings out of tune. Whether on purpose or a lack of vocal skill, these twinkling sci-fi meanderings unwillingly take a seat in the background as Cox steps forward, breaking free from the introverted style that left us with Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel.
It’s a less than appealing beginning to Logos but things get a little better with the Spaceman 3-like guitar interchange on “An Orchid” and the spaced-out orbiting samples that flow in and out of “Kid Klimax,” as well as the title track.
Cox collaborates with various people, including Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox and Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier. That alone would make anyone want to pick up the album with curiosity, and each song is equally observant in the context of the whole, but I am only talking about a small sample of the album.
The rest is conducted with bedside manner and stretched into lo-fi quantities. Normally that would be a great thing, but Cox tries to incorporate the three-minute pop concept into his ethereal acoustic serenades like “Sheila” and “My Halo” but in the end, it feels like he cannot even pull himself up off the floor and make promising recordings. It would be better if he just went off the deep end with his music, but, alas, bending the fabric of pop culture wins. When it comes down to it, stick to instrumentals and save yourself the humility.
Andrew Duncan is a journalist who has migrated to the forces of academia. He has written for various publications including Chord, Heckler, Readyset...Aesthetic, and a vast array of alternative press contributions. When not roaming the streets of Indianapolis, he is either addicted to KXCI, making music, or striving to watch every film listed on IMDB.
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Interesting…I put this one on my top 10 releases for 2009. Except for maybe one track, I love this album. The slow build of “An Orchid” reminds me of really good Pixies, and I think “Shelia” is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard in ages, and is one of the only good songs about marriage that I can think of. The duet with Laetitia Sadier (Quick Canal) and Attic Lights are two other solid favorites. I can see myself enjoying this release for years to come.
I was looking forward to this album, especially being on the kranky imprint. And I read promising reviews after the fact. But personally, there were enough factors that I could not get into it. I could pick out individual pleasures but not as a whole. I hope that I can go back and re-discover the release in a more brighter context, but right now, I think this would have been better as an instrumental album.