At this point Bradford Cox releases so much free Atlas Sound material on his blog there has to be a good reason for piecing a bunch of new songs together and expecting you to pay for it. Who knows how he decides when to turn a sketch into a finished piece, but that the 11-song Logos, his second proper Atlas Sound full-length, flows together so gorgeously as a 44-minute patchwork of sounds, seems reason enough. It also showcases a marked upgrade in songwriting since Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, suggesting that maybe all that free downloadable practice paid off: The gurgling, angelic opener “The Light That Failed” quietly pours into the shuffling half-step of “An Orchid,” which finds itself inside an echo chamber and blooms fully with “Walkabout.” Cox has said “almost everything” on Logos “is a first take” and likens it to a live album “where a band sets up in a studio and just rolls tape.” He also notes, perhaps disingenuously, that “there are songs on here I don’t even remember recording.” Whatever the case, that sort of spontaneity — a decision not to over think — is another factor in making Logos a tighter, (much) more focused collection than its predecessor.
He’s writing songs, not just exercises. Cox isn’t one to pull punches or leave folks guessing, so as he’s already done some of the homework for you, explaining what he sees as the difference between the two collections:
My last album was a bedroom laptop type thing. Very introverted. Logos is an album that was recorded all over the world. It’s not about me. There are collaborations with other musicians. The lyrics are not autobiographical. The view is a lot more panoramic and less close-up. I became bored with introspection. This was also the case Deerhunter’s Microcastle LP, which was written during the same period … It’s a collection of songs. There is no “filler.” There are little scrapbook details everywhere.
It might not be about him, but that’s him nude on the album cover, his navel staring out at us from below an obscured (and saintly) mug (i.e. it’s about him). Still, you’ve heard some of what he’s talking about firsthand via his Animal Collective turn on the “Walkabout“: It plainly feels more like a Noah Lennox production than Atlas Sound. Then there’s the elegant 9-minute “Quick Canal” show stopper, which features the immediately recognizable vocals of Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier as its spirit guide. She also wrote the lyrics atop Cox’s background. He explains how he took the backseat:
The song was originally about 15 minutes long. I had zero ideas for vocals and asked if she could give it a shot. Andy Ramsay [Drummer for Stereolab] took a dub of the original and recorded Laetitia’s vocals at his press play studio in London. It was quite a treat to hear the finished product, now at an economical 9 minutes.
All that said, his fingerprints (and ghostly backups) are everywhere. And he wisely follows the aforementioned more anonymous excursions with the warm, semi-upbeat and first-person “Criminals” and the also first-person “My Halo.” (“My body will burn,” even amid the song’s icy dream-pop lope.)
Anyhow, yes, it remains the Bradford Cox show, and it can be dazzling: You’ve heard the spaciously intimate “Attic Lights.” You’ve seen “Kid Klimax” via La Blogotheque: The Logos version includes fuzzed-up vocals, electro percussion, well-timed snaps, a drone swell, and various squiggles, etc., in addition to the guitar and vocals. A true standout’s “Sheila,” a lovely (and heartbreaking) we’ll grow old and bury ourselves together track: “Because no one wants to die alone.” And, as mentioned before the jump, the way the first three tracks smear together as some sort of progression is pretty special.
As far as endings, the album closes with the shimmering conga line of “Washington School” (fans of “Walkabout” take note) and the Kraut-y and then whirling title track, Cox singing about spirits floating up and ostensibly discoursing on the overall theme of what we’ve just heard. It’s hard to make out exactly what he’s saying, though, because the vocals are muffled. That’s the thing: What makes Bradford’s projects successful, no matter how much hype he receives or how much he opens up about what he’s doing, is that his songs contain a certain listen-to-me-again mystery. In the end he’s tapping into something achingly personal and also unknowable, even if he tells you otherwise.
Logos is out 10/20 via Kranky.
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Do Girl Talk next
wow Girl Talk! i wonder if it will be songs mashed up?
This has quickly turned into my favorite album of the year.
Pretty good, nothing incredible though. Shelia is the best song he has done (as Atlas Sound).
Not the kind of sunken chest I had in mind… Arr.
absolutely an amazing 44 minutes of my time, loved it
Stereogum, Can you PLEASE prematurely evaluate Tegan and Sara’s SAINTHOOD next???
This is even better than I thought it would be and a lot better than Let the Blind… I’m so glad to finally listen to it. It was killing knowing that Stereogum had Logos for so long and I couldn’t hear it.
How about the new King Khan & BBQ for a Pre Eval when that comes around?
the girl talk leak is fake buddy get with the times
one of the best albums of 2009.
this album is the best. END. of story.
Logos > Ashes Grammar > Veckatimest > MPP > Bitte Orca
PLEASE do ashes grammar for the next prem eval. they are crazy underrated and this new album is crazy great.
rain water cassette is sweet, can’t wait to hear this, can’t keep this boy’s shit straight.
there have been too many great albums this year. a tremendous year for music. year end lists are gonna be crazy.
Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel is good too, that really have deep sense.
Yeah before or now album I’m still lovely… It’s cool…
Forex Megadroid
This album just flows together sooo smooth and beautifully..definitely my album of the year.
and Shelia is crazy good.
boring album. definitely a step down from the last lp
A couple crazy thoughts:
1. I think the first song is about Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. Think about it. That squiggly sound that seems to fly around your ears throughout; it’s Tink. Perhaps the Light that Failed is when she is dying. Clap your hands if you believe!
2. This is a stupid thought, but I can’t help but think of Jack Johnson when I listen to Atlas Sound. Granted, I can’t stand JJ, but if he was an androgynous ghost who sang more cerebral/arty music. Atlas Sound just has that breezy beach feel plus substance.
Anyway, awesome album; a real grower (and a shower, too).
“Quick Canal” is incredible.
I am sure that hole in his chest is photoshoped or he intentionally pulled his stomach inside. And yes, I know he has marfan syndrome.
It’s called an inverted sternum.
I LOVE WALKABOUT PREMATURE EVALUATE MY FAVORITE LEAKED ALBUM PLZ!!!!!!
Let The Blind… is still the best thing Bradford has done from top to bottom. Why the album gets somewhat disparaged all the time is beyond me. I figure its because few have given it the necessary listens (quite a few actually) to properly sink in. I wasn’t blown over on my first 3-5 listens either but by listen 10 it was a top 3 album of last year for me. Far better than the overrated Microcastle (which got old rather quickly and had a few lazy tracks). I like Logos a fair deal but by no means do I think it’s superior to his previous release. If anything, Logos represents a capitulation of sorts to the Deerhunter aesthetic (which isn’t a horrible thing, I know. I’m quite a Deerhunter fan as well). I really hope he doesn’t give up on doing bedroom electronic work…
MPP>Logos>Veckatimest>Dragonslayer>Bitte Orca
MPP=Logos=Dragonslayer=Bitte Orca…it’s all music, neither better or worse.
(Those are actually my top 4 so far this year!)
Except for Veckatimest…they’re all better than that.
i guess, they’re all great
i just like some more than other
It’s nice to see that someone hasn’t abandoned MPP. I feel like a lot of people stopped listening to it once some of these other albums came out, it seems to be at the bottom of people’s lists now.
Well that’s indie blog culture for you.