Album Review: Atoms For Peace - Amok

With band members including Thom Yorke, Nigel Godrich and Flea, the debut LP from Atoms For Peace was always going to cause one hell of a storm. However, Amok doesn't sound like music from a new group. Instead, the future-addled soundscapes pick up right where The Eraser, Yorke's solo record of 2006, left off: fractured, vulnerable and claustrophobically haunting.

Weaving live instrumentation and electronica, the record makes creepiness and desolation feel attractive and warm. This is in large part to one of our generation's most arresting voices, but also it's a credit to Godrich's programming and production. Amok causes your outlook on the world to change in a flash; negatives bleed into positives and the whole experience of life wraps itself into one. Listening to this record on headphones while walking alone in a city is an overwhelming experience.

Away from his flawless vocal verses, the guitar work of Yorke is stunning. He'll find a little groove, what seems to be an inconsequential riff, and ruminate on it until you're completely caught within its clutches. Reverse Running showcases this perfectly, with simple notes bending around in the background, Yorke's voice hypnotic, while percussion crackles around your ears like Pop Rocks candy. Flea's bass lines tend to follow a similar path (Stuck Together Pieces, Judge, Jury & Executioner) while drumming is used sparingly, never stepping over the line to become something showy.

Although it feels like the continuation of an existing musical conversation rather than the beginning of a new one, Amok still has the power to direct your thoughts, provoke your senses and, most importantly, keep you guessing again and again.