'Parallax'
4/5 Pitchforks
Label: 4AD Records
Released: Nov. 8
It seems the most brilliant artists of all time are the strangest. Bradford Cox can be considered one of them as he is said to be a bizarre, yet highly intelligent individual. The Georgia-based musician is multi-talented and has been extremely active in the music industry with his band Deerhunter along with his solo moniker Atlas Sound.
Cox has 11 complete albums to his name and has assisted other artists in their productions, like playing drums for tracks on The Black Lips’ record “We Didn’t Know The Forest Spirit Made the Flowers Grow.”
What makes Cox so strange is not just his stream-of-consciousness songwriting, or even his lanky physical appearance that is a product of his Marfan syndrome. It is the music he creates that sets Cox apart from other experimental indie artists. “Parallax” is perhaps the most musically intricate, yet pleasantly odd albums of all time.
The album opens with “The Shakes,” a commentary on fame, fortune and the superficiality of it all. Cox told the New York Times, “The narrator speaks to the camera and describes the shocking panic of realizing his or her material possessions are his or her closest friends.” It is a haunting song that reflects the horrors of a life lived in emptiness.
“Te Amo,” which sounds more like an Animal Collective song, utilizes different synthesizers, sounds and scales to make you feel like you are placed in the song. “Te Amo” wants you to feel like you are underwater. The keyboard melody echoes throughout the song and it sounds like the notes are floating around you — submerged and suspended in water.
The album’s most catchy track, “Mona Lisa,” is fairly simple compared to the rest of the album. A guitar intro, an easy-to-follow melody and chorus and harmonies from MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden all help to compose one of the most pleasant songs on the album.
Each layer of every song on the album is perfect. Cox knows when too much production becomes messy, and he does not get over-zealous with the many different instruments on the tracks. For instance, how did he know a harmonica in “Praying Man” would compliment the song perfectly rather than be unfitting alongside the various other synthesizers? It is like Cox is an adventurous musical chef, adding small pinches of some instruments — and large handfuls of others — all to create a complex yet appetizing flavor.
Do not ask, “What’s in this?” before you indulge; close your eyes, take a listen and enjoy.
Reach the reporter at jocelyn.gee@asu.edu
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