Atlas Sound: Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel

Label: Kranky

This time last year, Atlanta’s Deerhunter made a big splash with their groundbreaking Cryptograms”. Deerhunter main man, Bradford Cox, often emerged as the focal point of the band, and the driving creative force behind their heavy Krautrock-meets-shoegaze webs of sound. Let the Blind… is the official first offering from Atlas Sound, Bradford’s solo-project alias. This epic collection of bedroom experiments and gauzy, washy songs follows a similar cohesion as Deerhunter’s work but wanders from their decidedly rock leanings into more ambient and textural zones. The seamless field of songs here brings the unexpected influences of minimalist electronica, music concrete and experimental composers like Terry Riley and Pauline Oliveros in and out of focus, still worshiping at the altar of My Bloody Valentine. Much like the Panda Bear record didn’t sound a lot like Animal Collective but made perfect sense as a companion, Atlas Sound is its own entity and exudes a similarly intimate, glowing blanket of sound and feeling. (Fred)