Music

On my first run through of Atlas Sound’s newest release, Parallax, the brainchild of Deerhunter’s frontman Bradford Cox, I immediately found myself drawn to the closing track on the album. When the melody is just right, catchy but in a original way, something always feels so familiar about a song, a near Déjà vu like feeling. This familiarity on “Lightworks” is  bred from  the beautiful, calming sound scape that emerges during Cox’s carefree, melodic hook, a series of oohs and ahhs that poses the irresistible urge to follow him in this sugary sweet vocal slide. This beautiful vocal melody, the building harmonica solo and upbeat tempo play into the song’s function as the soundtrack for a sun filled summer jaunt along the sea.

On Parallax, Cox often picks up where Halycon Digest left off, combining his soft, often distant vocals with his brilliant song-writing ability. But Atlas Sound carefully distances itself from from Deerhunter just enough, on some songs presenting more austere arrangements, dropping some shoegaze tendencies in favor of more traditional song craft. On others, like “Amplifiers” Cox branches out further, straying towards more abstract and strange sounds.

For other great Parallax tracks check out “Mona Lisa” and the official single from the album “Te Amo,” not to be confused with the far superior Rihanna masterpiece song . In the meantime enjoy “Lightworks,” a lighter track on the somewhat gloomy “Parallax.”

- Will Guerin