Some time ago, I was invited over to Bradford Cox’s house to do an interview for Signal To Noise magazine when his debut Atlas Sound full-length, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, was about to be released.
During that interview he gave me a preview of some new stuff that he had been working on that was to take shape as his next full-length, Logos. I am duty bound not to reveal any details related to anything about the album, but I can say that it is an absolute monster.
The bottom-end on some of the songs was so powerful that it literally rattled books and CDs off of the shelf when he played it.
When some rough versions of the album’s songs were leaked last year, I worried that the project would be scrapped. But last week news went public that the album is being released in the States via Kranky on Oct. 20. It seems that a host of other musicians have come on-board to contribute to the album as well, including Panda Bear from Animal Collective, Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab and Sasha Vine of Sian Alice Group.
News of the album’s release came with a note from Cox:
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.
I started recording December of 2007. I recorded the first version of the album, which was not intended for release. Due to some unfortunate mistakes on my part, this “sketch” of the album was leaked. Many of the songs where simply “placeholders,” songs I created quickly to help design the “arc” of the album.
I did not react well to the leak, in retrospect. It became the kind of internet-fueled drama that I was quickly learning to despise. I had always desired to speak through music, not blog posts and interviews, etc. I considered abandoning the project.
(more…)
Bradford Cox has declared that Logos is an “extroverted” album that isn’t about him, but I couldn’t disagree more. The second solo full-length from Deerhunter’s leader is the inward journey of a world-weary voice dealing with the natural order of the universe — all awash in soft-focus, pop tones. Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) of Animal Collective lends his voice and sampling blueprints to “Walkabout,” and Stereolab’s angelic voice Laetitia Sadier drives “Quick Canal.” These couplings feel like vacations from the Id, Ego, Superego clash commencing beneath the happy exteriors of “Sheila” and “Logos.” Each is bound by fairytale bliss and distress under gorgeous façades. With repeated listens, Logos reveals greater staying power than its predecessor, and though it’s not the catchiest or the most unpredictable album Cox has made, it’s the strongest one so far under the Atlas Sound moniker. (Kranky) 4 stars out of 5
