Unlucky AtlasThis act comes from Chicago, IL and play a beautiful experimental sound which includes instruments such as: Mandolin, guitar, fiddle, cello, autoharp, 12-string guitar, 4-track and beautifully sung male and female vocals. Previous to this release, they have released a split with The Antiques and a 3" EP.
There are seven tracks in all that total over 32 minutes. The opening track, "Noble Enterprise" is a soothing track that paints a vivid picture of how the "noble" ideas of our forefathers have been ruined by the greed of mankind. "Graveyards make firm foundations for our bright, bright mansions." The next track is a brief instrumental which sets up the following track, "Numbers". The rest of the CD follows in the same pattern, setting up each track with a nice instrumental. I must say, it's remarkable how fast this CD comes and goes, it doesn't have any moments that drag and ruin the listening experience. By the time the final track elapsed, I was hoping there would be a secret track or something, sadly not.
I must add, I really enjoyed the lyrics. They were very poetic and eloquent but still had something worthwhile to say, which isn't the case often.
The recording was definitely good, the band got theirs moneys worth, but if this band was given a big time recording they would sound absolutely massive. The way the vocals were dialed in, exactly even with instrumentation, was a nice touch because it shows that the vocals are just another instrument. And considering the vast array of instruments being used, everything rings out in clarity.
The packaging, which is housed in a cardboard sleeve looks downright gorgeous. The contrast of the dark green atlas that sprawls across the packaging with the metallic silver ink just jumps out at you. The mansion printed in silver I would assume is an extension from the lyrics to "Noble Enterprise". I felt that was a nice touch. The gloss insert that displays the lyrics to the songs features a really cool piece of artwork. The irony of the beautifully drawn branches with the red petals falling down upon a black and white image of tribesmen hoisting skull was a nice addition to the packaging. On top of it, the CD was professionally pressed with artwork on the CD face.
Rating: 4/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Noble Enterprise and Jacobin Waltz
Thesis: I whole heartedly enjoyed every single aspect of this release. The music swept me off my feet and put me in a trance. The packaging is absolutely breathtaking and accompanies the music perfectly. If you can appreciate good music, no matter the genre tag you should love this because I absolutely connected with it. Check their myspace on how to acquire this, and their previous efforts. http://www.myspace.com/unluckyatlas