Atlas sound - Parallax / Oh Ricky

Bradford Cox returns with a new Atlas Sound record this week with 'Parralax' being the lead single. The first thing that strikes me about this little 7” is it's incredibly shallow grooves, it doesn't even look like there's music on it! I'm not a big fan of Bradford's work though I'm occasionally impressed by the odd Deerhunter tune here and there. I think it's one of them where you either love the guy and get into everything he doe's or, like me, you come away feeling unaffected by it all. Nowt wrong with the tunes here though. 'Parralax' is a quiet, contemplative affair that features tasteful cosmic synths and a beautifully constructed vocal melody. It sort of reminds me of Gruff Rhys dreamier pop moments with it's light use of chimes and acoustic guitar. B-side 'Oh Ricky' is a fluffy little instrumental loop based affair that brings to mind Matt Mondanile's pre-indie rock approach to Ducktails composition on a heavy dose of Provac. Kinda like both. Should maybe give Cox another chance. If you like his stuff this will no doubt satisfy.