Last night at NYU, Bradford Cox brought his other musical project, Atlas Sound, out to play. Surprisingly, given the complexity of some of the Atlas Sound recorded material, Cox appeared solo, accompanied by an acoustic guitar, a harmonica, and a massive board of guitar pedals.
Those pedals are what would largely define the show: Cox used them with expert precision, and through the use of effects, delays, and samplers managed to create a sound that was layered, diverse, and intricate. The effects also served to differentiate the songs sonically, and allow Cox to present a set that was diverse beyond the simple acoustic singer/songwriter model.
In addition to the music, Cox was talkative and upbeat. He waxed philosophical to the largely-student crowd about his own GED, and subsequent technical college experience is video editing. Acknowledging that the experience wasn't exactly his top choice, Cox claimed that he had "forgotten all of it, but still went to college!". Indeed.
While the show was enjoyable, an unquestionable representation of Cox's performance magic, and wonderfully intimate, it was still lacking. Much like on record, Atlas Sound's material is more uniform and abstract than Deerhunter's, and the result is that watching a performance can be quick to lull one into submission. Despite the completely solid performance, and lovely tunage, we do have to say there's a piece of us that's looking forward to catching Deerhunter en masse when they open for Spoon this spring.
More pictures at the HAD Archive.
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