Atlas Sound

Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox’s beautifully ethereal solo side project, Atlas Sound, trades his main gig’s noisier tendencies for gauzy sighs and small, captivating moments. Those moments get less small on 2011’s Parallax, which finds Cox bursting out of the bedroom, pushing the pop footsteps of Deerhunter’s Halcyon Digest into a joyous sprint. Throughout, Cox’s guitars shake off country-western dust and his vocals hide behind Sun Records slapback: Given Cox’s post-punk roots, it makes for an oddly American-sounding record, like Elvis jamming on Richard Branson’s next Space X flight. Cox’s live shows carry the air of someone still adjusting to sunlight, but his self-aware sense of humor keeps even the clumsier moments entertaining.  

Updated 02/22/2012