Bells Atlas are a band from Oakland, CA who make distinctive, prismatic music which draws upon a diverse range of styles and artists, blending the visceral emotions of R&B and soul with an off-the-wall, avant-garde vibe akin to Dirty Projectors and tUnE-yArDs. Indeed, their own bio describes them as: “kaleidosonic soul punch, afro-soul, rhythm pop-sicles, taste the r’nbow – Missy Elliot meets Bjork meets the Malian-born love child of David Longstreth and Annie Clark.” I think the only thing that could possibly be more apt a description of Bells Atlas’ sound is Sophie Roach‘s artwork for their new EP, Hyperlust.
‘Bling’ is the latest single from Hyperlust, a jagged pop hit which manages to not only bathe the listener in a glowing summer chill but also challenge the concept of capital-T Truth in reality and the mind, answering its own mystical questions with the only fair motto of our times. I don’t know.
“What do you mean?I don’t knowJust a sign of scienceJust a sign of scienceWhat did you see?Eyes to the floorAnd if I do not understand it, was it real?What do you mean?I don’t know”
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Hyperlust will be released on the 31st May and you can pre-order it now from Bandcamp. If, like me, you are new to the band, be sure to go back and explore their previous releases.