Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel is the debut solo outing for Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox as Atlas Sound. Retreating from the drone punk of his band, Cox returned to his bedroom in Atlanta, Georgia, armed with a few instruments, a laptop, some newly honed recording tricks and some helpful words from fellow Kranky recording artist Brian Foote. The result of this retreat form what could be seen as a melancholy companion piece to Panda Bear’s Person Pitch, with the influence of the Beach Boys replaced with the likes of My Bloody Valentine, The Cocteau Twins and much of the 80’s output of the 4AD label.Following on from a series of download-only releases via Deerhunter’s website, which included two imaginary 7”’s complete with artwork, and cover versions of Jay Retard and, er, “Unchained Melody”, Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel presents a hazy version of pop music, layering sound upon sound, and blending loops and drones until attaining a state of lysergic bliss. The hushed vocals, drenched in reverb wash over the listener as electro-pulses roll in and out like waves, putting the listener into a dreamlike trance. On 'Bite Marks', with it’s vocals reminiscent of a tripped out Flaming Lips, you can imagine this is the sound Wayne Coyne would be hearing in his giant plastic globe should it fly up and off to some far off galaxy next time he takes a trip off the end of his stage.On Deerhunter’s blog, Cox tells of his love of a “vintage warmer” plug that he used “all over the record”, and of his “reverb abuse”, which, at times gets a bit to much, like being smothered in a comfy, but ultimately restrictive blanket. Although the pace of the record does quicken at times, such as on 'Scraping Past', with its insistent Yeasayer-esque groove and driving electro pulse, much of the album seems to drift past without actually doing very much except whirring, twinkling and occasionally bleeping pleasantly.Cox has expressed his desire for Atlas Sound to “make music that could be ‘healing’ or therapeutic to people who relate to it”, and in part he succeeds. The low level hums and drones surround the listener, giving a comforting feeling, as if sinking into a warm bath. This however proves to be both a blessing and a curse, as the record occasionally becomes little more than background Muzak, or begins to sound like one of the new age CDs sold in Crystal shops up and down the land. A pretty, enjoyable record, but ultimately quite forgettable. 67%You can find a whole host of downloadable EP's and tracks on the Atlas Sound official websiteLinks Atlas Sound [official site] [myspace] [buy it]