Atlas Sound
Parallax
(4AD)
Bradford Cox is best known as the lead vocalist of Deerhunter, but his solo work as Atlas Sound is just as compelling as his main efforts. Cox’s stream-of-consciousness writing works well with distortion and effects to craft a beautiful, lonely world that is a glimpse into a prolific mind.
The title track, for instance, repeats, “Your pain is probably equal,†but the distorted Western guitars make the song seem catchy rather than downbeat. “Doldrums†is as melancholy as the title indicates, but there is also hope within the fragile tones of the music.
Even the repetitive songs, such as “Angel is Broken,†still sound captivating. Cox’s delivery is always heart-wrenching and personal, and you can tell that every time a line reoccurs, Cox still feels it as immediately as he did the first time.
Parallax is a delicate, quiet record that sounds dreamy without drifting too far into left field. It’s almost too personal to listen to the album because a certain claustrophobia carries through the songs, but the only way to conquer it is to push forward and feel what Cox feels. These songs are too beautiful not to share.
