Intriguing, multi-sectioned compositions carry the day on Atomic 5's eponymously-titled debut CD. Written by pianist Beavan Flanagan, guitarist Nicolas Godmaire and saxophonist Steven Salcedo, the nine originals that comprise Atomic 5 nevertheless have a continuous narrative flow that makes for a musically satisfying and conceptually fresh listen. The playing throughout is sharp and nimble, though drummer Aaron Landsberg stands out as a real spark plug. His dexterous playing gets exuberant at just the right times. He's no slouch with the brushes, either as his work on Salcedo's epic "Waltz For St. Dominique" and on Godmaire's rockish ballad "August" attests. Rock-solid bassist Kathryn Palumbo also gives the drummer a lot of room to mess around with.

Godmaire, Flanagan, and Salcedo share the solo space more-or-less equally. All three are promising young players who—while not yet possessing jaw-dropping knockout chops on their instruments—are well on their way to developing individualistic and engaging improvisational skill sets. Flanagan has an almost classical approach to the piano—he takes his time to develop his solos and there's a sweet logic to his playing that refers to, but does not imitate, pianists such as {Steve Kuhn}} and