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"HiGH ▀ iNTELLiGeNCE tRoLLS"
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a r t i s t : Charles Atlas
t i t l e : To the Dust: From Man You Came and To Man You Shall Return d a t e : 2004
l a b e l : Ochre Records OCH047LCD
g e n r e : Indie
r l s. d a t e : Jul/2004
t r a c k s : 10
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 99,4 MB
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CHARLES ATLAS are back with 'To The Dust...', the new album
which is the follow up to the 'Worsted Weight' album, also
released on Ochre. It is the fifth album from this San
Francisco outfit and is, once more, beautifully recorded.
Charles Wyatt and Matt Greenberg have benefitted from the
enlistment of Sacha Galvagna (formerly of Mute's Rosa Mota).
Sacha joined prior to the recordings of 'Worsted Weight' and
once again on this new album, his focused playing continue to
refine the band. This album possesses a curious combination of
beauty and dislocation which includes a mature and atmospheric
selection of pieces ranging from delicately treated piano
flourishes, viola drones and other worldly synth bleeps. Gentle
and eerie pieces are juxtaposed with unsettling musical
collages.
(http://www.ochre.co.uk)
Some of the most rewarding music is worth being patient for,
and Charles Atlas is one of the most patient and disciplined
contemporary bands. After five releases, the ensemble returns
with perhaps the most dense and developed album to date. To the
Dust eases in on the opener "Neither Nor" with a hypnotic
guitar, piano, and organ interplay before cello, drum machine,
glockenspiel, and layered guitars build and build to some
unexpectedly grand levels. Although the instrumentation hasn't
changed, it seems like there's simply more depth than before.
The cello and strings on songs like "Signal Flags" makes for a
more cinematic, more climactic sound. Even when there's less
instruments, a seemingly louder mix makes for a much more
upfront and direct feeling despite some of the tracks being
completely absent of driving drums or percussion. It's rare,
but when electronic rhythms are introduced to songs, like the
soothing "Corona Norco" or fast-paced "Chapultepec," they're
kept simple, minimal, and thankfully primitive enough to avoid
mimicking real drums. Although it's mainly instrumental and
introspective, To the Dust is a very summery record. It's a
fleeting summer, however, painted mainly by an artist who knows
that summers don't last long. The music is uplifting and moves
along rather quickly in places. Songs like "Photosphere" and
"Chapultepec" are very scenic and could easily score images of
children playing in the sun or the rushing rapids high in the
mountains while songs like "Demus" conjures the comforting,
relaxing and blindingly bright feelings of having a rewarding
beer at sunset. The majestic piano on the nearly eight-minute
simple piano/organ duo of "Primo Levi" is breathtaking while
the album closes with the windy and wistful +10 minute closer
"Dipole Moment," where sounds of acoustic guitar, organ, cymbal
strokes, and sound effects mimic a temperate evening breeze
with crickets in the distance. By the eighth minute, everything
builds to a roar and then trails off just as calmly as it came
in. Now on the sixth release, it confuses me how Charles Atlas
hasn't become more popular, but I guess since they never toured
with super popular Icelandic bands or played drifting
festivals, it makes sense as they haven't been exposed enough
to the people who don't actively seek out new sounds. While I
hate comparing bands to other bands, I must make the point that
fans of Pygmalion-era Slowdive, The Album Leaf, Labradford and
Pan American, or the classic 4AD sound, Morr, Kranky, and
Constellation labels who haven't heard Charles Atlas yet are
severely missing out. - Jon Whitney
(http://www.brainwashed.com)
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01-Neither Nor [07:33]
02-Demus [07:15]
03-Corona Norco [03:56]
04-Edith [05:19]
05-Signal Flags [09:24]
06-Photosphere Yet? [05:33]
07-Chapultec [06:07]
08-Seven Digit Clock [08:31]
09-Primo Levi [07:58]
10-Dipole Movement [10:12]
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71:48 min
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