Since Athlete signed to Parlophone I’ve gone off them. The debut EP they release through Regal showed a band who sounded like The Beta Band fronted by Sting. Then they started sounding like a Coldplay tribute band, almost overnight. Hence my annoyance at having to review this album, I felt, was justified. And it almost was too.

Athlete are not a singles band, they only work over a longer period of time than that because their influences and range of sounds are so diverse. The singles only show one side of the band and without seeing the other sides (for they are a 3 dimensional band!) you just won’t get it.

This is not a CD that’s likely to find itself in my CD player very often, if at all, but it is one worth hearing and if it grabs you then it’s going to beat you over the head, stuff you in the boot of a car and keep you there until you suffocate.

Label: Parlophone
Website: Parlophone
Release date: April 7th 2003