Bridge to Atlantis, the follow-up album to Kevin Hannan's little-known 1998 debut Pictures of Dorian, finds the artist increasingly ambitious as songwriter, singer, and producer. His songs consistently eschew the obvious; like Michael Stipe and Tori Amos -- and Grace Slick before them -- his preference is for the oblique as metaphors and language go. Musically the album is at times self-indulgent in its extended fadeouts and inclusion of a few subpar cuts, but on the whole it is a successful collection of alternative pop songs. The 13 tracks are mostly reflections on dysfunctional relationships -- whether a man's relationship to his ex- ("Madman") or a woman's relationship to inane self-improvement publications ("Mrs. Magazine"). "Madman" and the equally passionate "Ice Vine" are easily the strongest songs, positioning Hannan as the latest link in a chain of odd-angled intensity that includes R.E.M. and the Smiths. Interestingly, the weakest cuts are the three songs he didn't write. Bridge to Atlantis did not garner extensive attention on its release, nor were there any clear hit radio singles to be found. However, Hannan's vivid, often witty, and insightful lyrics present him as an adept and adventurous songwriter who defies easy classifications and simple song structures. The album can be seen as a smart sketch from someone threatening to create a grand painting soon.
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