Athlete Album: “Black Swan”

I can tell you why there have not been more comments for this album; although here in the U.S. there is a lot of music to sift through and a lot of genres to choose from, a lot of what is found has no substance. If someone were to listen to this Athlete CD as their first encounter with this band and criticize it without having ever listened to any of their other works then they are looking for a 'quick fix' for the season, as is the trend with generic music nowadays.

I have rarely encountered a band or musician who has consistently bridged the exploration and love for music as a means to tell about life as I have with this band. Vehicles and Animals in a sense (I feel) tells about their youth and ambition, as well as their fearlessness to experiment with sounds in order to convey the Athlete 'thumbprint' which gives their signature to the music they compose. Halflight is a little known EP that I believe focused on the lyrical content which could have stood on its own but it shows you also how they carefully weave the music to complement what is said. Tourist showed a lot of maturity and depth. It showed me that as much fun as they have playing music with each other, they also take it seriously... they never forgot how to be young still. Beyond The Neighborhood was a metamorphosis of the band. They took the fearlessness that they began with and fused the styles of the previous CDs in order to once again display the 'thumbprint' which highlighted the individuals that make this band. Black Swan is very genuine and this is obvious from the real life that is conveyed behind the music as is presented by the explanation of the songs and this music project as a whole. I respect this band because they know that they are nothing more than musicians and even if 'the industry' could not grasp their musical vision, they would continue to 'see' their music through anyway. I have found a diamond in the rough.

"The Unknown" is good, but otherwise I found this album to be quite unsatisfying. Maybe it's me, so I won't flame it, but far from a favorite disc.

I am surprised that there no other reviews for this album. Black Swan is very well composed. The lyrics are engaging and thoughtful and the tunes are catchy. Their sound on this album sound mirrors Coldplay, Snow Patrol, and Keane. Critics will likely find their sound unoriginal -- I feel that this more a British genre, than a lack of originality. I see Black Swan as their breakthrough album and from top to bottom the songs are great.