The Wake

The new release by Atlas Sound, nee Bradford Cox, has one song that’s going to garner a lot of attention. “Walkabout,” a collaboration with Noah Lennox of Animal Collective fame, is a big-beat summer anthem that goes past feel-good and into brain candy. The real story here, though, is neither catchy singles nor star power; it’s the way Cox’s songwriting and arranging abilities have improved since his last record. The songs all sport beautiful, full-sounding arrangements that skillfully incorporate acoustic instruments, a far cry from the ultra-compressed, digital soundscapes of his debut. The music is still firmly entrenched in the ambient-pop genre so reliably promoted by Kranky records, but now it’s grown into something completely different; a mixture of swirling ambience, quality pop songs, and a willingness to throw acoustic and electric instruments in with scratchy samples and keyboards. Cox’s vocals are also a high point. Now higher in the mix and far more intelligible than on previous efforts, the vocal performances shine, as do the lyrics, which are wistful and perfectly paired with the music. Unlike many of his peers, including his own work two years ago, Cox has nothing to hide here and presents the performances un-obscured by excessive reverb or bit-smashing. The fact that the album still manages to create such a disorienting shoegaze-swirl is even more impressive given the clarity of the recordings. With the future of Deerhunter, Cox’s day job, ever more uncertain, the continued improvement of Atlas Sound with each record is a great comfort.

Tags: atlas sound, bradford cox, deerhunter, logos, music review