This is an astonishing collection of bedroom noise and melody from Atlantin oddity and American virgin, Bradford Cox. Atlas Sound, as the Deerhunter front man once called it, is Mr. Cox's solo project. Interestingly, Deerhunter have temporarily stopped working together, a fact that may point many people's attention away from the unique emotion found on this original and singular work. Bradford's vocals are not too dissimilar to those found on last years Cryptograms.
But there is also a very satisfying departure. Cox's melodies now bear a certain romantic breadth, that I believe, are distinctly complimented by the softer more glittering arrangements found on this record. There are strong motifs of sensuality, arousal and self-discovery throughout these songs. Yet, there's also a heightened understanding of Cox's inclination to obscure certain musical motifs and themes through his tape-deck production.
In counterpoint to what could have been a toss-off aesthetic, Brad transports the songs from his bedroom into an ageless/ancient realm of clicks and hiss, enveloping every inch of this recording in aura. Although some of his earlier demos sounded overly plastic and pissy in their sonic depth, [italic] Let The Blind… is immensely sonorous, at times even evoking Brian Eno's APOLLO record, in its gauzy warmth and implied sadness.
Lyrically, there may not be much material, as Bradford uses a repetitive mantra style coupled with an abundance of delay and feedback. However, vocally there is a rich and compelling nature to his percussive, almost biological gurgling and spatter. The often cold and synthetic nature of sequencers and digital effects become altered into breathing, primordial excrement – blinking and oozing around the lurching abstraction of Bradford's delicate and vulnerable persona. Really exceptional product.
