Album Review

There is something immediately familiar about Deadlines, the 2017 album from Blue Atlas, but familiarity should not be confused with predictability.

Blue Atlas is the collaboration of multi-instrumentalists J. Reynolds and John Beckler, and their sound sits comfortably in the space where alternative rock and modern new wave intersect. There are traces of '80s atmosphere throughout Deadlines, but the record never feels like a simple exercise in nostalgia.

Instead, Blue Atlas takes the clean guitar lines, melodic bass, polished keyboards and emotional distance associated with classic new wave and gives them a more contemporary alternative-rock weight.

The result is an album that sounds sleek without becoming sterile.

Opening track "I Won't Hesitate" establishes the record's personality quickly. It has the kind of forward momentum that makes Blue Atlas immediately accessible, but there is also a melancholy undercurrent running beneath the melody.

That balance between movement and reflection becomes one of Deadlines' defining characteristics.

"Until the Tide" continues in that direction, allowing the band's atmospheric side more room to breathe. The production has plenty of space, and Blue Atlas rarely overloads the arrangements simply because another instrument could be added.

"Twenty Twenty" is tighter and more direct, while "The Map" demonstrates how comfortable Reynolds and Beckler are building songs around texture rather than sheer volume.

"Clever Words" is one of the album's strongest melodic moments. It has the clean, carefully constructed feel of classic new wave without sounding trapped in another decade.

Then comes "One Step Beside You," perhaps the clearest example of what Blue Atlas does well. The song combines alternative-rock immediacy with the cool atmosphere that runs through the rest of the record.

The second half of Deadlines is arguably even stronger.

"Echoing" has an appropriately expansive quality, with the arrangement emphasizing atmosphere and repetition. Rather than rushing toward a payoff, the song allows its mood to develop naturally.

"Lost You in the Current" is another highlight. Even its title sounds perfectly suited to the record: Deadlines frequently feels concerned with movement, distance, time and the difficulty of holding onto things as they drift away.

"Start Over" introduces another strong melodic turn before "Out to Sea" pushes the album further into its spacious, reflective side.

And then there is "Halfway There."

As the closing track, it works particularly well because it doesn't feel like a dramatic attempt to summarize everything that came before it. Instead, it leaves the record with the same mixture of momentum and uncertainty that has been present throughout the album.

That restraint is important.

Blue Atlas could easily have turned these influences into something overly polished or overly nostalgic. Instead, Deadlines feels surprisingly natural.

The album's production is clean, but there is still enough personality in the performances to keep the songs human. The guitars shimmer rather than dominate. The keyboards add atmosphere without becoming decoration, and the rhythm section provides the pulse that keeps the album moving.

Most importantly, the songs are memorable.

There is a temptation with atmospheric alternative music to emphasize mood at the expense of songwriting. Blue Atlas avoids that problem. Even when Deadlines becomes dreamy or spacious, there is usually a melody underneath pulling the listener forward.

The album also benefits from its relatively concise running time. Eleven songs in approximately 43 minutes gives Blue Atlas enough space to establish a distinctive sound without exhausting it.

A decade filled with endless '80s revivalism has made new-wave influences increasingly easy to imitate. What separates Deadlines is that Blue Atlas doesn't sound interested in recreating a specific year.

The influences are recognizable, but the songs belong to the band.

That may explain why the album has aged well. Its combination of alternative rock, melodic new wave and understated electronics feels less tied to 2017 than many records released during the same period.

Deadlines isn't a record built around enormous gestures. Its appeal is quieter than that.

It is the sound of two musicians understanding the atmosphere they want to create and trusting the songs enough not to overwhelm them.

For listeners who enjoy melodic alternative rock with a strong new-wave undercurrent, Deadlines is an overlooked record worth discovering.

Standout Tracks: "I Won't Hesitate," "Until the Tide," "Clever Words," "One Step Beside You," "Echoing," "Out to Sea" and "Halfway There"