Any fan of Bradford Cox will notice that both his band Deerhunter and his solo project Atlas Sound have continued to push the envelope of pop music with each successive release. A survey of recent YouTube footage will reveal live performances from both projects becoming tighter and more adventurous throughout the years.Basement DJ: The Doctor – Parallax, the third LP from Cox as Atlas Sound is no exception to this progression. The album is divided into two imaginary discs, one featuring experimental exercises in indie-pop, the other comprising ambient, minor-key thought-pieces. The sequencing of Parallax does not make the divide between the two discs clear, hence its title. The rich arrangements of the songs feature both digital and acoustic voicing all tied together by distinctly Coxian trademarks: hypnotic codas, stream-of-consciousness lyrics, every lyric delivered through a delay pedal, etc. Parallax affirms Bradford Cox's position as one of the most prolific, talented, and continually improving artists in the independent music circuit; this is the most conceptually and sonically ambitious Atlas Sound release to date.
Recommended if you like: Panda Bear, The Flaming Lips, High Places
Focus tracks: "The Shakes", "Angel is Broken", "Mona Lisa"