Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel | ||||
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Atlas Sound chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel is the debut album by Atlas Sound, the solo project of Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox. The album was released in North America by Kranky on February 19, 2008 and in Europe by 4AD on May 5, 2008.
Described as "
The lyrics of Let the Blind Lead are autobiographical, reflecting abuses he received as a child, past drug addictions, and his hospitalization as a teenager due to
Production
The music of Atlas Sound utilizes computer-based MIDI instruments, created and recorded in musical software Ableton Live; the program allows Cox "to turn pretty much any sound into a MIDI-controllable keyboard", according to him. Effects that were not already built into the program were seldom used. Brian Foote of the band Nudge assisted Cox in the production of Let the Blind Lead, by showing him the basics of the software, and aiding in the selection of equipment that would be used on the record.[1] Cox described the process of recording the album as being stream-of-consciousness: "with Atlas Sound, the songs are being written as they're recorded."[2] In addition, all of the lyrics on the album were created as they were being recorded on the first take.[1]
The album's title is derived from a dream Cox had in which he saw a group of protesters, one of whom was holding up a sign reading "Let the blind lead those who can see but cannot feel". Upon waking, Cox wrote down the phrase on a notebook beside his bed. He described the concept to Out magazine as being "like you are able to see, but you might not know the right direction to go in. But somebody who can’t see might—just by instinct—lead you that way." The arrangement of the tracks on Let the Blind Lead is chronological, presented in the order in which they were recorded.[3]
Artwork
The North American album cover artwork originates from a medical journal Cox discovered in a
Style
Music
Let the Blind Lead has been characterized as
To create tracks on Let the Blind Lead, Cox continually adds elements to a song until he "feel[s] like it's getting crowded…When it sounds done, it's done. And if it seems like it's missing something, I'll go back and add something." Most of his music is the product of several hours' work, rather than that of a few days.
The album's opening track, "A Ghost Story", contains a sample of a young boy telling a
Lyrics
While Cox was working with Deerhunter to produce Cryptograms, it was considered
"River Card" is based on a Puerto Rican short story entitled "There’s a Little Coloured Boy at the Bottom of the River". The story tells of a boy who falls in love with his reflection in a river, believing it is another person, similar to the Greek myth of
The lyrical content of "Cold as Ice" is based on a relationship Cox had with a girl named Alice. Having fallen in love with her in the fifth grade, he proposed to marry her on the school's playground. Alice rejected Cox, calling the ring he had given her "a cheap piece of crap." Years later, Cox worked with Alice at a Subway restaurant. Occasionally, "for no reason", she would ask him to watch her change into her uniform in the restaurant's refrigerator, which he described as having been as "cold as ice". Cox suspects that "she was trying to torture me or something." The song "Bite Marks" is about "sadomasochism and boy prostitution." In the song, Cox references an experience he had when he was kissing a man who bit him "really, really hard" on his shoulder, leaving bite marks "for like two weeks." This experience, along with other abuses he received as a child, formed the lyrical basis of the song.[1]
A recurring source of lyrical subject matter in Let the Blind Lead is Cox's best friend, Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt, whom the album is dedicated to. "Winter Vacation" concerns the first time the two met. Seeing him at a bus stop while vacationing in
Reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
URB | [16] |
Let the Blind Lead was generally well-received by critics; some praised Cox's emotional lyrics, while others criticized his music for lacking substance. The record charted at number 32 on
On
Marc Hogan of Pitchfork Media praised the album in his review, writing that it "works best as a swirling, disorienting whole," and "those drawn to his lovesick, evolving audio presence have…an entire world to explore." Dominic Umile of PopMatters found the album's "lovesickness and confessions" to be "as tenderly delivered as its hazy atmospherics are", and, in their "bare authenticity…far more compelling in repeat indulgences than Deerhunter’s explorations."[14] Tiny Mix Tapes rewarded the album 4/5 stars, saying that, while each song has a "distinctive quality" allowing it to stand on its own, by backing out to view the album as a whole, the "individual elements unify…mak[ing] a greater holistic product."[15]
Wilson McBee of Slant Magazine was more negative towards the album, writing that "Let the Blind Lead presents an intriguing mixture of sounds, but rarely does Cox whip them into anything very exciting." In his review, he likened the album to a "tempered" version of Deerhunter's Cryptograms.
In an interview with John Norris of MTV News, Cox said of the reception to Let the Blind Lead: "The response to this Atlas Sound record…the general response was very, very positive, but very, very much rooted in the concept that this is an emotional album. This is an album that has a lot of feeling behind it, and it's very naked…That might in fact be [the case], but the reason it is that way is because it was done stream-of-consciously. [sic] […] I'm not calculated. I don't mind sentimentality, as long as it's not calculated."[21]
Track listing
All songs were written by Bradford Cox.
- "A Ghost Story" – 2:44
- "Recent Bedroom" – 3:46
- "River Card" – 3:20
- "Quarantined" – 4:20
- "On Guard" – 3:40
- "Winter Vacation" – 4:00
- "Cold As Ice" – 3:33
- "Scraping Past" – 4:30
- "Small Horror" – 2:54
- "Ready, Set, Glow" – 2:58
- "Bite Marks" – 4:18
- "After Class" – 3:29
- "Ativan" – 2:51
- "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel" – 3:45
Bonus disc
Included with the European release by 4AD.[4] This collection of tracks was also released digitally by Kranky as Another Bedroom EP.[22]
- "Another Bedroom" – 5:41
- "It Rained" – 3:05
- "Stained Glass Swan" – 2:58
- "The Abandoned Closet" – 2:16
- "Spring Break" – 4:57
- "ABC Glasgow" – 5:02
Personnel
Technical personnel
- Bradford Cox – engineering, mixing
- Brian Foote – mixing
- Craig S. McCaffrey – layout assistance
- Bob Weston – mastering[23]
Release history
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
North America[24] | February 18, 2008 | Kranky | compact disc | KRANK 114 |
double LP
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Europe[25] | May 5, 2008 | 4AD | double CD | CADD 2811CD |
digital download | EAD 2811A |
References
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Archived from the originalon December 18, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b c d Klingman, Jeff (2008-02-20). "Atlas Sound: Interview". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
- ^ a b c Lamphier, Jason. "Sonic Youth". Out. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ a b "A4d – Atlas Sound – 'Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel' Out Now!". 4AD. 2008-05-28. Archived from the original on August 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b Sanchez, Bryan (2008-02-22). "Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel". Delusions of Adequacy. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b c McBee, Wilson (2008-02-18). "Atlas Sound: Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel | Music Review". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
- ^ for Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel. Metacritic. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ a b Brown, Marisa. "( Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel > Overview )". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- Blender Magazine. Retrieved 2009-09-06.[dead link]
- ^ Kharas, Kev (2008-02-19). "Review / Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 2008-08-09. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b Cohen, Jonathan (February 19, 2008). "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel review". Magnet. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
- Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b Umile, Dominic (2008-02-18). "Atlas Sound: Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel < Reviews". PopMatters. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b Amneziak. "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel | Music Reviews". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on October 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- URB. Archived from the originalon 2012-06-03. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ a b "Atlas Sound: Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
- Pitchfork Media. 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel – Atlas Sound". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
- ^ O'Neal, Sean (2008-02-18). "Atlas Sound: Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel | Music". The Onion. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
- from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- Amazon. Retrieved 2009-09-07.
- ^ "( Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel > Credits )". AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "KRANK 114 – Atlas Sound "Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel"". Kranky. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
- ^ "4AD – Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel". 4AD. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-09-06.