Parallax

Atlas Sound is a solo project for Bradford Cox, the prolific songwriter and frontman for the band Deerhunter. Parallax, his third release, is a hazy and intoxicating melding of pop hooks and sonic experimentation, ambient sounds and melodic wanderings. While each Atlas Sound album has been superbly produced (with this one no exception), Parallax stands apart due to the number of more straightforward songs. Heavy textures and deep reverb support the songwriting and accentuate rather than obscure his voice; it’s a noticeable difference. “Te Amo” is strange yet catchy. The jangly “Mona Lisa” features an infectious chorus, and “Angel Is Broken” and the title track are indie rock delivered with a confident croon. In contrast are tracks like “Modern Aquatic Nightsongs,” with a swirling vortex of eerie loops, and the meandering dreaminess of “Terra Incognita” and “Flagstaff.” These juxtapositions, and the album’s brilliant flow, make Parallax baffling, beautiful, and worthy of repeat listens.