Corner Kid
Atlas, at Last!
Atlanta, GA
“Jaw dropping, stirring debut”
Corner Kid brings his musical art to the forefront, lifting off to higher stratospheres with his debut full-length, Atlas, at Last!, a brilliant, epic work of great creativity, full of passion and brains, majestic in scope. Opener “Coastlines and Honeywine” begins with the soft beauty of Corner Kid’s haunting vocals, later building into a six-minute blaze of sound and dynamics.
Then comes the radiant and romantic “Beauty and the Priest,” displaying the artist’s unique gift for lyrics, a striking poet in the making. The key modulates with stunning strings and keyboards, bringing the track to its happy and amiable climax. It’s here that one feels the magic of Corner Kid’s influences growing up outside of Atlanta, in the busy pace of Marietta, GA.
It was just a few short years ago that Corner Kid, a pseudonym for Chad Yochum, found peace and inspiration in the likes of Sigur Rós, Travis, Jump, Little Children, Radiohead, and the Doves, richly apparent in the sound and context of his music. There’s a hint of Queen in Yochum’s guitar solo attack in “Snowman Song.”
Charming whistling and old Western piano’s accompany lovely cellos, painting a happy setting in “The Poser.” Awe-inspiring horns and brass open up a Beatle-esque “Flashlight,” with echoes of the White Album sessions.
Perhaps the highlight, “Echoes,” displays Corner Kid’s passion for writing a song that moves the mind and haunts the spirit. Just as each track presents a full tapestry of instrumentation, Yochum strives for integrity in his craft, blending together a glorious mixture of lyrical wit, instrumental delight, and dynamic prowess. “Echoes” softens a bit in its midpoint with melancholy pianos, then rising into waves of orchestra-like strings, again delivering a ghostly impression of a Sigur Rós-style ending.
It’s great to hear his vision, evenly spread throughout Atlas, at Last!, the intent to break all boundaries of commercial music. Corner Kid succeeds in his promise. And don’t miss out on the rest of this record. Much can be written, much more can be said. (Self-released)
Produced by Tom Hardy & Corner Kid // Mastered by Rodney Mills