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July 10, 2007
Cox on a Roll
photo by Devon Banks
A good way to stave off a proper backlash is to keep putting out consistently engaging new material at a near constant clip. Though they've already earned their hype with both Crytograms and the Fluorescent Grey EP this calendar year, the boys of Deerhunter aren't done yet. In addition to the prolificacy of the band proper, material has begun to surface from singer Bradford Cox's solo project Atlas Sound. A song from both...
I never had a problem with the adrenaline rush punk songs or ambient noise pieces on Cryptograms, but if the band wants to just keep getting lovelier and lovelier, I'm not going to protest. There are still alien elements present in this track from the upcoming Rare Book Room Records compilation, a fragmented marching drum beat most prominent among them. Taking a cue from their ambient work, the hanging piano notes and gentle guitar gusts don't move much, content to let the beat and thudding bass be kinetic. Cox's confused melodies never congeal into a particularly hummable refrain, but remain intoxicatingly lush. He acknowledges the seeming structural aimlessness, sighing, "I don't know where I'm going, but I'm gone." Even though the cogs of the song seem to be spinning on completely different spheres, it's tempting to follow our guide into bewilderment.
// Deerhunter - MySpace
// Deerhunter - Blog
// Deerhunter - Cryptograms & Fluorescent Grey buy
It's tempting to think of a solo project as an excuse for more indulgence, but so far everything we've heard from Atlas Sound (LP due in '08, after the next Deerhunter) is even more stark and plainly pretty. A sample that may or may not be in its final form...
In the previously released (and continually gorgeous) Atlas Sound track, "Unicorn Rainbow Odyssey," Cox makes a big point of his skepticism towards the believability of fairy tales. 'River Card' seems like an eminently more reasonable lesson myth, a la the story of Icarus or "How the Leopard Got it's Spots." In this case, it's "the Boy Who Loved a River." As with many of these stories, this one has a bit of a tragic bent. "River's so clear and blue, I'm so in love with you/ but you drown me, you drown me," he sings over twinkling synths and a steady faux Motown rhythm. Without the heavy guitar tones of his bandmates, the melody carries more weight than ever. It's all longing ache. Being afraid to embrace something big for fear of losing yourself completely, powerless to keep from wading in.
// Atlas Sound - MySpace
Previously: Deerhunter, Live @ the Mercury Lounge, 4.26.2007
Posted by Jeff Klingman at July 10, 2007 12:00 PM
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Comments
These are both beautiful tracks.. they certainly are on a roll!
Posted by: Richie at July 12, 2007 11:46 AM
