Atomiks

Dark garage-rock warrants a sense of humour and an element of self-effacement, neither of which are lost on Reno’s Atomiks. The band’s progressive take on the genre à la mode is refreshing, too, as guitarist/vocalist George Pickard (who, at times, sounds an awful lot like Urge Overkill’s Nash Kato) meanders off the typical three-chord tether to engaging and original effect. Sonic surprises include a turn at sax-infused, finger-snapping soul and the odd dusty, rootsy foray into the desert à la Giant Sand. Disparate though those excursions may seem none of the material comes off as particularly out of place. Rather, the variety merely extends the stylistic range of the Atomiks palate.