Athlete Album: “Vehicles & Animals”

I saw this CD at Tower records at a listening station and had to have it. It is a perfect CD to end this summer to. The songs are warm and sweet, light layers of light that just feel good. Here's some notable tracks. There are many that are good that I don't mention though.

-El Salvador is wonderful, makes you desire a roadtrip, the kind that just occurs with no planning or destination.

-Westside is an alright song, thought sometimes when I am in the mood to overanalyse, it just doesnt all fit together. Not the best track here.

-One Million is a good tune, somewhat seductive. The end is a little suprising to me.

-You've Got the Style is just so much fun. I loves it.

Overall, it's quite an enjoyable CD. I highly recommend it.

I stumbled upon Athlete by accident. It was the best mistake I've made all year. They mix Blur, Colplay, XTC with some other element that never seems to have been tapped before, a large part of their sound is just... Athlete. The album is wonderfully hooky. It kicks off with the athemic sing along-y "El Salvador" about simply getting out. It's one of those that makes you want to get out and find a different pace. The album continues with "Westside" another fun number with an original hook and a triumphant finish. "Shake Those Windows" is a heartfelt tune in the Coldplay vein.

Athlete's British Rock (...it's not just rock) is simultaneously energetic and heart warming. Their harmonies are fresh, their songs are extremely agile and their choruses are huge.

It's not all 100% memorable right away but that's a good thing it grows on you. In short this is a brilliant debut from a band that is quickly finding its sea legs "there's no need for us to go back in time/because we've found our open eyes" Joel sings in the title track; and I predict that soon they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Some highlights are "El Salvador" "Shake Those Windows" and "Vehicles and Animals"

Borrowing and improving on the Beta Band's idea of blending folk-rock and sing-a-long choruses with subtle, whirring electronics, this four-piece band from South London have put together an astonishing debut. It sounds fresh, and it's fun to listen to. STandout tracks: "You Got The Style", "Westside", "One Million", "Shake Those Windows".

Athlete has a different sound but one that definately puts a smile on your face.

This is one of the best debut albums I've heard in a long while. Athlete compares favorably with Travis in my opinion, when Travis is more upbeat on songs like Why Does It Always Rain On Me and Sing. El Salvador, Westside, You've Got The Style and the title track Vehicles & Animals are all first class alternative rock songs and deserve to be on the charts here in the U.S. I saw Athlete at the Glastonbury Festival last summer, having never heard of them before, and definitely wish I'd had a chance to hear this cd first to really appreciate their performance.