As if it weren't impossible in 2007 to not know every detail about Atlanta art-rock band Deerhunter, here comes the first record from frontman Bradford Cox's longtime solo project Atlas Sound. A lush, thoughtful 50 minutes, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel is infinitely more intimate, while moodier than the behemoth Deerhunter has become.

Cox recorded all of Let the Blind himself, utilizing a wide range of multi-instrumentation, including samplers, drum machines, guitars, glockenspiels and synthesizers. The result is 14 engaging, soundscape-saturated tracks. Often an ambient, My Bloody Valentine-inspired assembly, Atlas Sound also dabbles in electronica, with some tracks not far from trip-hop. There's also a later-period Jesus and Mary Chain influence on songs like "Ativan" and "Recent Bedroom," but less rock-filtered than those Scots. The outro of "Bite Marks" devolves into distorted noise that is one of the most surprisingly unhinged, raw moments on the album.

Lyrically, Let the Blind… differs little from many feelings and revelations Cox has discussed in various media. Most songs revolve around nostalgia, medical maladies and states of anxiety. Several songs are nothing but a singular couplet: "On Guard" merely proclaims, "Always on guard / I'm trying to make friends but I'm always on guard."

Cox takes Atlas Sound on the road with additional members starting this week, and it'll be interesting to see if they'll keep to the rigidity of the Let the Blind… or free up and improvise. Either way, for a first effort (though one Cox has been preparing for years), Atlas Sound is currently a completely realized, thrilling project that may outdo predecessors.

Scott Reid

Atlas Sound is performing at the 40 Watt Club on Saturday, Feb. 16. See feature here.