In 2005 Athlete had a number 1 single with Wires and number 1 album in Tourist, now they return with an effort that is supposedly influenced by such artists as Efterklang and Apparat whom they listened to on their tour-bus last year. The band, signed to Parlophone records for all of their three albums to date, had a studio built and then decided to record and produce the new album on their own.

Beyond The Neighbourhood sees Athlete experimenting with electronics and atmospheres, which are then added to the type of earnest ballads and anthems that were used on previous album Tourist. The first indication that the band has tried something different is the leadoff track In Between 2 States. A vocal-less dreamy anthem with an indefinable electronic atmosphere and Mogwai styled guitar. This sense of electronic exploration is sadly under utilized on this album, with the four-piece falling back into the old routines of clunky earnest Coldplay-isms. The album’s potential is often scuppered, either through Pott’s peculiar vocal tendencies where he raises or lowers the pitch of the last word (Best Not To Think About It, This Is What I Sound Like), holding back from the new experimental side they’ve found (Hurricane, It’s Not Your Fault), or songs that just don’t stand out (In The Library, Tokyo, It’s Not Your Fault). This, however, is not to say that they haven’t tried and even sometimes succeeded in creating something new and compelling. Flying Over Bus Stops, for instance, opens with a glockenspiel, or perhaps a xylophone, drenched in background ambience, electronic soundscapes are joined by supporting guitars that help the song to scrape the sky. This creates a quietly adventurous foray into ballad territory that actually hits the emotional mark. Second Hand Stores is a possible second single, another ambient start gives way to the full band and a sweet, high-pitched, earnest vocal performance from Pott, with a violin adding the perfect touch in the background.

The band must be applauded for diving head first into recording and producing this album themselves, it has borne some interesting results. But Athlete still retain a middle of the road inoffensive sensibility when it comes to songwriting, which they seem unable or unwilling to step out of. As a result, their experimentalism is compromised and the album as a whole suffers.
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Links
Athlete [official site] [myspace] [buy it]