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Little Atlas – Hollow
At
the inaugural year of RoSfest, Little Atlas blew crowds away at a
time when some may have considered them amateurs. Back then all they had
to go on was a single album to their name. Soon after, they followed up
with a surprisingly mature effort entitled Wanderlust. It’s not just
that Wanderlust was better than their debut, Surface Serene; it was even
leaps and bounds ahead of the tall buildings that Superman was vaulting.
With only a few more years under these caped crusader’s utility belts,
they topple another obstacle with an eclectic collection of well-written
songs. This goes to show that they hold V.I.P. status among the most
elite progressive rockers of today.
While their music isn’t entirely out-there this time around, it has a
highly-developed theme sandwiched between countless engrossing jams.
That should be all that’s needed to keep the most demanding listeners
focused. Yet, it keeps its wits about it by slipstreaming clever
libretto with slippery keyboards and the snazziest of saxes.
Steve Katsiskas - their fearless leader – is responsible for those
prerequisite elements. However, Roy Strattman’s guitar, Rik Bigai’s
bass, and Diego Pocovi’s drums are up to snuff as well. These three
introduce mental acuity of their own, and in doing so; help to create an
album that’s more amazing than Wonder Women’s see-through jet.
What’s most significant about this band is that they continue to grow
while at the same time, their alma mater is recognizable in just a
couple of bars. Their proprietary code is constantly used throughout
their movements. Likewise, they expand upon their formulaic trademarks
in order to compile a rock-solid release.
The only drawback is that they often coax the melodies to fit around the
verses. In the title track, they use that empty word to a revolting
degree. Still, I can understand the need to balance instrumental
manipulation against a laudable concept.
Lately, I too have been paying more attention to lyrical content so this
release couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Ultimately, their
glowering words give these songs depth plus a reason to revisit every
single track. If music is expression; one could argue that it would be
worthless to make an album without this meaningful dimension. And for
that reason, they may have taken us further down the rabbit hole, which
is a plausible level below Wanderlust.
Follow along as I retrace my steps through an evocative place that
flashes no vacancy upon its marquee:
Track 1: Hollow - Take their signature riffs and put them into a
song-oriented space. That’s what you get here, and that’s the spoke
connecting the hub to their good news. If there were one complaint to
lodge, it’s that they incessantly use the same word over and over again:
Yup, it’s Hollow. The overuse is almost overbearing and had me
worried about what I might be subjected to throughout the ensuing hour.
This track may have been better suited in the last half of the album.
Then again, that might have gone against the grain of the desired
topology. Whatever the case may be, a stain that’s concentrated in one
spot is always difficult to get out. As I’ve caught myself frequently
humming this tarnished tune aloud, it apparent to me that it truly does
has staying power.
Track 2: Silence – This muffler is anything but noiseless; let alone
short. Actually, it’s probably the most daunting ditty on the album.
Right away, we get a heaping serving of a saxophone, and it’s quite
sublime. In its tenure, we encounter crisply orderly turmoil. While it’s
hushed at its origins, it builds a wall of sound over time.
Track 3: Paranoiac - All signs point to Echolyn in this song. When they
fall back on old habits, they enshroud them within new tricks.
Specifically, Strattman’s guitar is all over the board and his cohorts
do a lot. Sometimes less is more. This could very well be that rare
example where a song equally qualifies for both the exception and
inclusion of the rule.
Track 4: Contumacious – Without forgetting who they are, they
incorporate the dreamy soundscapes of Pink Floyd. It’s a simple collage
of proven licks from that prominent and popular entity. In a roundabout
way, it’s “Comfortably Numb”.
Track
5: Preying - The majority of this track is marvelous; though I did not
entirely care for the trailing bits. That aside, the introductory blurb
is intriguing and weird. Either the protagonist is crazy or he is
pissed. It’s a rainbow of skittles, but it’s more stubborn than a
gobstopper. In other words, it’s bittersweet and if you’re not astute,
you might break a tooth on the rigid shell between the savory candy and
the sour core. As for what I like about it, this reggae-strewn rock and
roll would cause Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffet to take a bow as it could
certainly be mistaken for their attractive apparel.
Track 6: Orderly – This account is crucial to the story. It cures the
bone of its contusion by wrapping a catchy instrumental bridge around
its sternum. Climatically, it sows the stitches with the elegance of a
plastic surgeon’s scrupulous hands. By this I mean the end result is
more favorable than the initial prognosis.
Track 7: Hiding – Speaking of patience, I adored this imperturbable
piece for its simplicity. Even though it constitutes lesser efforts to
rehabilitate in the studio than the other convalescents, it might be the
best track. It’s also the most effective use of the operating room.
Track 8: Stage – For a moment, I was convinced that this was
Transatlantic’s “Suite Charlotte Pike” from its enthusiastic origins to
its delightful demise. The splendor involves an uncanny solo on
Strattman’s guitar as well. Along with a chronic bout of wondrous
singing, Katsikas provides an elaborate and swift sequence on the
keyboards. His incisions cut with the preciseness of a scalpel. Have I
mentioned he is also the resident saxophonist? He’s not a large man. One
has to wonder how a starving musician such as him can have so much
talent in his solar plexus without bursting at the seams.
Track 9: Symbiosis – While the last track has Sonus Umbra coating its
guts, the start of this one is closer to David Bainbridge’s merciful
wails. The rest is spruced up with Strattman’s cerebral details. With
this, it’s apparent that their lead guitarist has just scaled the
rankings. Unlike a punch drunk dummy who beats lower-class opponents to
earn status within his class, this team is world class. To catch the
listener with these counter-jabs means Strattman has studied the tapes.
By the way, we get a brief nod to Neo-Prog; turn away or box your ears,
and you just might get clocked.
Track 10: Special – Remove the harmony and the piano, and what you have
is California Guitar Trio without the consummate triad. That’s it in a
nutshell.
Taken as a whole, this is an album that will heal. The value of having
psychobabble in the arthroscopic procedure is that it leaves room for
bionic augmentation. To that end, we all win because it gives Little
Atlas another reason to proceed. We reap the rewards, and it
necessitates no sweat on our part. Our cheap premium pays for their
years of study and the depreciation of their apparatus. When they’re in
the studio, the anesthesiologist makes sure we don’t sense the teensiest
prick. I’m sure they’ll continue to yield future albums and when they
do, I’ll be in the waiting room.
Hopefully, more is planned in their repertoire. It would be great if the
coordinators of RoSfest doctored the bill and asked them back for a
follow-up appointment. In the interim, they have grafted a limb to their
discography that is worthy of many listens.
Parenthetically, I was told by someone in their camp that this was
better than prior fare. It beats it by no more than a nose job (Gotcha!
You thought I would say hair). Anyhow, it’s not because it’s bad but
because the last two albums were smoking hot. In a way, I’m biased when
it comes to Wanderlust. Aside from a couple hiccups; think of this as a
step up. In lieu to my approval, the melodic structures and overall
compositions do allow for some improvement. Ultimately, it makes me
anticipate their next release which is almost guaranteed to be a
masterpiece.
8.5/10
Reviewer: Josh Turner
: : Visit the Artist’s
Website :
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: : Discography : :
Hollow
(2007)
Wanderlust
(2005)
Surface Serene (2003)
Neverwordly (1998) |
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