The debut album by Atlas Sound, Let the Blind Lead Those Who See But Cannot Feel, presents listeners with the inner-most emotions and experiences of musician Bradford Cox. There is a distinct mix of indie, ambient and electronic music that flows surprisingly well thanks, in part, to the structure of the album.
After the first song, the ambient Ghost Story,"" the album takes on a bit of an indie feel, combining Cox's slow, scratchy delivery with consistent, driving rhythms to create a very emotional feel. This theme culminates in the song ""Quarantined,"" where the music abruptly becomes very full, though no one sound dominates.
The inspiration for this song as well as for most of the album, is a depressing personal memory for Cox. In particular, ""Quarantined"" is about spending a lot of time in children's hospitals while growing up. Cox recalls dealing with those haunting, depressing surroundings while being separated from his friends.
Similarly, there are songs influenced by his experiences with sadomasochism, leaving loved ones behind and taking drugs to avoid dealing with personal problems. All in all, this work has quite a personal result that is most aptly described by Cox himself as ""traveling through a dream.""
The middle of the album is comprised of mostly electronic instrumentals, reinforcing the ""dreamy"" feeling that Cox was striving for. Although this part of the album is, at first, weaker than the beginning, it picks up steam and progresses to become both interesting and entertaining, without using any flashy or overwhelming sounds.
The album succeeds in structure when it comes full circle with the last two songs, as the indie influenced ""Ativan"" and the minimalistic title track reverse the order of styles the album began with.
Despite the successes this album may achieve, there is still plenty of room for improvement and intrigue. While the album as a whole is creative and experimental, almost every song, especially those from the ambient/electronic portion possess a base of sound that does not change.
This album will undoubtedly garner critical acclaim because of its structured, yet dreamy ambience despite relying too much on consistency and simplicity. Still, as a debut album, it certainly shows Atlas Sound's promise.
