Atlas

Real Estate / Atlas / Domino Records and Mexican Summer

Cheery music, sad lyrics, pretty surf-pop

Beautiful tracks are easy on the ears and don’t ask much of a listener – music to chill out and remember a warm summer’s night on the Atlantic shore, or a sad lonely time as a kid that you don’t want to forget. Brian Wilson-style vox, straightforward 60’s pop ride-driven beats, noise-free electric and acoustic guitars and melodic bass combine for a modernization of Beach Boys-style 60’s surf pop.

No FCCs
1. 4:51 Male tenor over cheery surf guitar riff, syncopated melodic bass, and 60’s boy-band drums, extended bright guitar solo
2. 4:33 Hammond chords and lush Wall of Sound-style two-guitar picking and reverb vox, medium tempo, sweet and sad
3. 3:08 Electric folk-picking intro, up tempo twee pop-like dripping-sweet and pretty track
4. 3:32 Rolling and rambling acoustic and warbling electric guitar instrumental, ride-driven medium tempo drum beat, slow fade out
5. 5:12 Easy-listening up tempo, 70’s singer/songwriter –like guitar theme, smooth vox
6. 3:16 Acoustic rhythm, electric lead guitar, nostalgic and pleading love song
7. 4:17 *Follows the formula of previous tracks, interesting chord progression though, 1&3 country-style bass, melodious and bold guitar solo, introspective lovely song
8. 2:29 *Full-voiced male twangy tenor, sparse tom-driven beat, syncopated bass, lead guitar traces vox melody, phased organ pads, short pithy Americana interlude
9. 3:11 *Starr-style crisp minimal drumming, reverbed longing and soaring vocals, chord progression leads but never lands, creating another rolling-feel track, more phase effect in instrumental verse.
10. 3:34 Down-tempo pretty piece, beautiful riff holds together singing bass and filling drums. Vox seems like it wants to be a child again.
Graham Anderson