Athlete - Tourist

I feel bad for Athlete. If they have a problem, it’s not in themselves but the context in which they exist. Repeatedly, this band is written off as yet another British “Indie-rock-to-cuddle-to” outfit, under the flagship of a certain other Parlophone band who shall remain nameless. And that’s really not fair. Their debut Vehicles and Animals, while nothing groundbreaking, offered some solid pop tunes (namely “Shake those windows”) and their sophomore Tourist boasts notable growth. So, let’s try to steer clear of cheap shots, shall we? Athlete’s debut, displaying some very clear influences, left the band with two sonic options for their follow up: They could either pursue the beaten path of melancholic indie pop or indulge in their Flaming Lips fetish and go all out with unabashed eccentricity. Right from the opening bars of “Chances,” it’s obvious which route they chose. And then almost immediately the hushed piano opens up wide with strings and ringing guitars. The quirks and playful keyboards so apparent on Vehicles are virtually non-existent now (although make a brief cameo on “I love”). Even lyrically, there’s a shift in atmosphere. Whereas Vehicles was much more cheeky and anecdotal, Tourist opts for dark and deeply personal themes, as in the lead single “Wires” (There’s dry blood on your wrist/Your dry blood on my fingertips) or the title track “Tourist” (We cannot save ourselves alone/Or rely on a mobile phone). Nevertheless, I suppose there’s always that one thing every young band needs to change but never gets around to. In this case, there’re two things. First, Joel Pott’s vocals don’t seem to have grown past the half spoken/half sung phase. Granted, he’s not the only singer guilty of that, but I wouldn’t pick on him if it weren’t for “Trading air;" clearly the best song on the album, here the vocals employ less ‘talking’ and more Bono-esque crooning, showing just what Pott could achieve if he just pushed a little harder. Second, Athlete are plagued by structure: Every track on this (and the last) album uses the ‘quiet vocal’s leading into a grand THX chorus and back’ formula. About six songs in, this becomes very tiresome until the rest of the album seems to blend together and lose your attention entirely. Regardless, Tourist is still a decent step up. The arrangements are much more polished, and their sound has grown richer for it. Athlete certainly have the tools to rise above their cuddle-rock brethren, but it’s going to take more of a leap than this. [www.athlete.mu]