Atlas Sound, 'Logos'

Release date: October 20, 2009
Record label: 4AD/Kranky
Official Web site: http://www.myspace.com/bradfordcox

The buzz: What does holding the world on your shoulders sound like? Ask Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, whose experimental solo outlet Atlas Sound carries that celestial figure's mythic weight proudly, especially on this second release, named after the Greek philosophical term for the source and order of the cosmos. From the project's 2008 debut to this majestic follow-up, Cox's Sound has ranged from the achingly ethereal to the unabashedly bouncy. In that time, he has become a visionary, a prolific producer of inner-space soundtracking along the lines of Spacemen 3's Jason Pierce or My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields.

The verdict: Less introspective but just as hypnotic as its predecessor, "Logos" is a masterpiece. The narcotic atmospherics of "The Light That Failed" and "An Orchid" unfurl with splendor, while the pop perfection of "Walkabout" (with Animal Collective's Noah Lennox) and "Quick Canal" (with Stereolab's Lætitia Sadier) could have crawled sideways off of the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds." Digital domains like "Kid Klimax" and "Washington School" wax synthetic and ambient in equal measure, while strumming serenades such as "Criminals" and "Sheila" are winsome winners. It's hard to find something not to like on the sonic logic of "Logos."  

Did you know? "Logos" was leaked early online, which led Cox to almost abandon the project. Good thing he changed his mind.