From the very first note, 10th Letter’s new album, Escape from ATL, flourishes with mysterious buzzes and beeps, preparing the listener for the coming apocalypse. Jeremi Johnson, the multi-instrumentalist and producer behind 10th Letter has referred to the record as a musical version of a summer blockbuster. It’s a soundtrack for a post-nuclear fallout Atlanta, something which doesn’t feel too far from reality, judging by the current heat wave.
Filmmaker and musician John Carpenter has inspired plenty of musicians, electronic and otherwise, but throughout the album, Johnson succeeds in harnessing Carpenter’s aesthetic while staying true to his own refined mix of hip-hop, jazz, and electronica. More streamlined than previous material, Escape from ATL is surprisingly breezy for a dystopian album.
Johnson still relies on similar sounds and beats as past projects, but his melodies and rhythms are less frantic than last year’s Portals & Compasses. Most of the psychedelic passages which Johnson wound so tightly on that record have been replaced by more linear movements, propelled by robotic drums rather than the organic chimes and percussion that drove Portals & Compasses. Since the new record is a concept album, it’s difficult to tell if this a step forward for Johnson, or simply an aesthetic choice based on his source material and the futuristic nature of Carpenter’s work.
The best concept albums avoid ham-fisted storylines in favor of fluid universes. Escape from ATL works because Johnson doesn’t force feed the listener a particular vision. Instead, the song titles guide the listener through a loose framework of a plot, allowing tracks like “Lo Pan’s Return” to occur in any Atlanta neighborhood. Nonetheless, the LP is more than nebulous background music for some sort of mind trip. The unity of the album is buoyed by the succinct nature of each track, with most clocking in at under 3 minutes.
Though the record is most successful because of its linear nature, “Rumble on 13th” street stands out as the climactic peak of the album. It’s not the busiest track here, but the lead melody which breaks in during the final half of the track is one of the most engaging and disconcerting parts of the album. As such, it is one of the few times on the record that Johnson invokes Carpenter’s musical stylings, instead of simply adopting his post-apocalyptic themes.
As a near sycophantic lover of Carpenter films, I’ll admit that I went into this review with a critical eye. I was worried that Escape from ATL would devolve into understandably gushy fandom. Instead, it’s another strong effort by 10th Letter, one which stands apart from Carpenter’s filmography. To be sure, it’s much more enjoyable if the listener has a love for Escape from New York, but it’s just as critical to have an awareness of 10th Letter’s expansive discography and an appreciation of Johnson’s genre-bending balancing act. Even if Escape from ATL isn’t a wild departure from 10th Letter’s previous records, it’s a worthwhile addition to his already wide musical universe and proof that he isn’t satisfied simply reworking the jazzy electronica he has already refined.
10th Letter will perform tomorrow night at 529 when he opens for Deantoni Parks. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $7. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Web: 10thlettermusic.com
Bandcamp: 10thletter.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @10thLetterMusic
SoundCloud: @10th-letter
Twitter: @10thxletter