Wanderlust

Little Atlas | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 12, 2005)
• Original Release Date: April 12, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: ProgRock Records
• ASIN: B0009F8F44
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,356 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Consisting of 7 songs clocking in at nearly an hour, Miami, Florida art-rockers, Little Atlas, have released “Wanderlust”. Following a new direction that was hinted at in their last album (the acclaimed “Surface Serene”), the band’s latest release represents their most adventurous work to date. All songs on this CD were fully co-written by the 4 bandmates yielding a cohesive and unique listening experience. Compositions are filled with vocal-driven melodic passages punctuated by angular instrumental diversions. Incorporating elements of modern progressive rock (e.g., Spock’s Beard, Porcupine Tree, Echolyn), Hey-Day Art Rock (Genesis, Yes, Rush), and even Venezuelan folk stylings, the band has achieved a thoroughly unique sound that still manages to pay homage to their influences. Lyrically, the 7 songs cover a wide swath of content including child abuse, political oppression, existential philosophy, and even alien abduction. Wanderlust’s core reflects that Little Atlas is a working, live-band with the seven songs invoking a “carefully crafted by playing them live” vibe. Surrounding this “core” is a full and creative use of studio wizardry that combines to create a satisfying and immersive listening experience. Manufactured with Enhanced Content that is available when playing the CD on a computer, the album contains a multi-camera, live video of the band performing. Self-produced and engineered, Wanderlust is the product of over 12 months of dedicated rehearsal, recording, and experimentation. Mastered by renowned engineer Rodney Mills (Pearl Jam, Cheryl Crow, Doobie Brothers, Journey), Wanderlust is a natural progression in the ever-evolving sound of this unique quartet.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstandingly consistent prog effort, October 13, 2006

By 

wadrad (Land of Bitburger, Bratwurst, und Lederhosen) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wanderlust (Audio CD)

Being a decently large fan of 70's prog, I've been researching and diving back into newer prog I could find in the last 5-6 years. Of the more recent stuff, I discovered Spock's Beard, the Flower Kings, the Tangent, and Transatlantic, and I even discovered some real 70s prog I'd never heard until recently. In that same spirit of new-prog-discovery I decided to give Little Atlas a try.

I first heard this band on Garageband, and was impressed enough to hunt down the CD through some small independent CD distributing site. Didn't realize I could have just one-clicked it on Amazon. Have to admit, of all the prog CDs from the last decade, this CD is the most consistent and likeable of the bunch that I bought. I do have a few favorite Spock's Beard's or Flower Kings tunes that I like more than any single song on this disc, but there are always a few tunes on all their CDs that get "next" buttoned when they start to play. Not the case with Wonderlust. Do they wear their obvious prog influences on their sleeves? Heck yeah, including even their Spock's Beard influence. But, if you're a sympho-prog fan that'll be a plus more than a minus.

There are two things I really like about the CD. One is the guitar work. The guitarist, Roy Strattman, is an energetic, but quite tasteful player. Very good at fills and flourishes that really complement the music. Always just the right amount of fretwork to help complete what the song needs. The second is the overall live feel to the disc. Though it's a studio production, the overall vibe is of a band actually playing together, unlike certain other prog projects as of late (Tangent's "A Place in the Queue" comes to mind...like everyone just emailed in their parts to slap it together with a Mac and some recording software). Steve Katsikas (vox and keys) seems to write most the music, and he does a great job of keeping things interesting but still fairly melodic. He's a decent vocalist (for me, much better than Neil Morse of Spock's Beard), and though he's no Rick Wakeman, he's proficient enough to add keyboard work that also fits well with the music. As an odd note, I'm not sure why a guy with a Greek name from Florida (as the web site says) sounds like he's british when he sings, but, plenty of british guys have sounded like they were born with American southern soul, so I guess it's not too weird. I do think the lyrics are as good or better than the Flower Kings or SB, and the vox are definitely better than both.

All in all, there's just great balance between the players in this band. Though the guitar might be the stand-out instrument in this, ALL the parts very much complement each other, making it really seem like a band effort and recording. The playing is tight, but not mechanically so, and I really like that. That quality reminds me of old Yes, where the playing was good, but it still seemed real (as opposed to "overdubbed with retakes to perfection").

In summary, there is some great prog on here. The Rush, Spock's Beard, and 70's prog influences definitely come through, but they're not so obvious that they overwhelm the music. The tinge of South American influence with the bass and drums is also a nice touch. If you like 70's prog as well as the more popular stuff from the last decade, I think you'll like this too. Worth the purchase in my book...