"His lyrical/vocal hybrid of Damon Albarn (Blur) and Bob Dylan is far more engaging and consistent, with more ease in his lyricism...he may be one to watch in the future." Filmore Escalito Holmes - Tiny Mix Tapes
"There's something else going on here, something risky, daring, and downright pretty."
Nella Pregoski - Rockcrit
He "utilizes words much like painters employ hue and photographers take advantage of shadow - to create an indelible impression" - Score! Music Magazine
...from "mass-accessible rock ditties" to "something a little more darker and more dangerous" What will he come up with next? Divinity?"
Mary Montgomery - San Diego Reader
The Story
Christopher Hoffee started Atom Orr as a diversion from his rock bands that he is in (Truckee Brothers, The Makeup Sex, Mystery Lights, and Fivecrown). Producing and engineering his project he plays most everything on the albums with occasionally pulling his friends/band mates Matt Lynott, Greg Friedman, and Patrick Dennis into the mix. Up until now, Atom Orr has mostly been a presence in placements in MTV and indie films, shows have been few a far between considering the bands Christopher is in, his studio CHAOS Recorders, and the record label Populuxe Records.
The first of the four releases "Wake" and it's "mass acceptable rock ditties" (San Diego Reader) straight ahead songs to Atom Orr's second release "Noir", "a beautiful example of an ambiance album" (Score Music Magazine), which showed that Atom Orr wasn't going to be easily pinned down. His third album "Asterisk" (that's three albums in one year folks...), Atom Orr has come crashing in through the roof and again changed course to unveil a whole new approach to his art of songwriting. Mixing his love of 70's rock/funk grooves and artful writers such as David Lowery, Beck, and Tom Waits, into a purely modern sound of samples and live vintage tones, he has managed to keep his songwriter DIY ethos intact. Featuring fuzz-funk ("White Knuckle Rhino" and "Nice and Glossy"), and electronic-acoustic ("Smoke Machines" and "Vinyl Fingertips"), 'Asterisk' never plays safe in lyric or approach. Sliding easily from baritone vocals to soft falsetto harmonies Atom Orr delivers his crafted lyric with a thinly hidden depth and easy humor.
His latest effort soon to be released on Populuxe Records "Searching For Sparrows" continues his Pop/Rock trend but relying on more piano and keyboards. "Scot Free", "Dreams Aren't for the Sleepy" and "It's Okay" are showing to be the stand-out tracks for the album so far. Though with its release still eminent, it’s hard to say what will eventually come. Only the words "Stay Tuned" come to mind.
Lest you think Atom Orr is just a studio fabrication who can't pull it off live, he backs up his studio cuts with a hell of a live show. Bristling with energy and armed with only an acoustic guitar and piano, he's captured audiences in LA, New York and Toronto by unraveling each song to its bare essence and shining a revealing spotlight onto his crafted lyrics and surprising textured baritone voice.
Atom Orr has been achieving airplay on radio stations across the US, Australia and in France, and his tunes have featured heavily on MTV, indie films, extreme sports documentaries and videos as well as the new CineMOOK's upcoming film "The Big Scratch" next year.
Prolific as ever, Atom Orr has also already begun writing the tunes that will comprise his next record "Paper Sun".
