Atmosphere - So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously (2023) (CD)

Atmosphere's new album, So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously, opens with a gentler approach. A departure from the brute intros of earlier works, "Okay" seems to comfort and reassure the listener, with Slug rapping over one of Ant's most twinkling productions to date. Yet, there's still an unmistakable sense of uneasiness that sets in, evolving throughout the album.
 
 From the subtle panic of "Dotted Lines" to the overt anxiety of "In My Head," the tensions seem to cede, swell and then find resolve again through cautiously optimistic songs like "Still Life". Meanwhile, the rhythms on this album are some of Ant's most inventive. The playful percussion on "In My Head" acts as a counterweight to the roiling writing, while the drum patterns on "Holding My Breath" and "Bigger Pictures" allow Slug to play with his flow, underscoring the anxiety driving the record. Where previous albums in Atmosphere's catalog emphasized the parts of life that carry the most meaning-family, brotherhood, purpose-Realities is an unnerving excavation of paranoia, perspective and positivism. The tension in these songs is palpable, but their presence is a testament to the hope that underpins them. Whenever the curtains might close, the music goes on.
 
 FORMAT: Compact Disc
 CONDITIN: Brand New
 GENRE:  Rap / Hip Hop
 UPC:  826257035127
 LABEL:  Rhymesayers
 NO. OF DISCS:  1
 
 TRACKLIST:
 1 Okay
 2 Eventide
 3 Sterling
 4 Dotted Lines
 5 In My Head
 6 Crop Circles
 7 Portrait
 8 It Happened Last Morning
 9 Thanxiety
 10 September Fools' Day
 11 Talk Talk
 12 Watercolors
 13 Holding My Breath
 14 Still Life
 15 After Tears
 16 Positive Space
 17 Bigger Pictures
 18 Truth & Nail
 19 Sculpting with Fire
 20 Alright (Okay Reprise)