Astralwerks
“Beyond the Neighbourhood,” the latest album from London electronic indie-rock band Athlete, is a fun and sometimes morose cinematic pop record. Although Athlete has only been around since 2003, it has made a huge critical impression in the United States and Europe.
Combining tasteful doses of electronic glitch pop, dancey drums and sing-along lyrics, “Beyond the Neighbourhood” easily could find a home in a club or your car. The second track on the album, “Hurricane,” has a catchy, addictive chorus. “Flying Over Bus Stops” is haunting, with simple vocals, electronic drums and notes echoing and reverberating, building but never quite topping off.
Athlete is a bit like the band VHS or Beta, and if you can’t put your Grandaddy CD away, you might want to pick this up and give Gramps a rest.
“?Joe Wertz
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2007.