Search - Athlete :: Vehicles & Animals

Sort of Meh. But it's perfect for Meh.

Matthew Lee | United States | 11/16/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is perfect accompaniment for the following activities: Writing letters, chopping onions, recycling old clothes.



Athlete are not groundbreaking by any means, rather, they are quite downtown, having fallen into the kind of lyrics one would suspect Blur or The Beautiful South to leave on a C-sides greatest hits CD. OK, that's not saying much, but the brilliance is in the simplicity. This is end-of-summery easy listening for urbanites and city-wannabes. Best singles are "You Got the Style" and the somewhat similar "One Million." The video for "You Got the Style" is remarkable for its cartoon character, which pouts and juts its head much like the way the music on Vehicles & Animals takes one-steps up and down the staircase and over the carpet. This is not to say the record is dull by any means, rather, it is an apropros accompaniment to the mundane.



In sum, this CD is not to play in the car. It's not good to jog to. It's not good to select from the jukebox. When you're done with the CD, you can put it in its case and think about life for a second, and then get back to the rest of whatever it was you were doing."

Outstanding

Garrett Fagan | PA, USA | 09/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like their 2005 follow-up, *Tourist,* *Vehicles and Animals* is a terrific album. Compared to the pre-packaged dross that passes for most American popular music -- including those interminable garage bands with grinding guitars and howling lead singers who are dubbed "alternative" -- this is a breath of fresh air. The UK music scene is sooooooooooooooo much more interesting than the pap we are subjected to on this side of the pond. Of recent English bands, Athlete rate at the top. Don't believe the blah reviewers below. This is a terrific album that mixes different musical styles. The songs often take an unexpected turn. The title track is just fantastic. Highly recommended to those with a discerning ear."

Patchy

A. Brown | New York | 08/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A date played "You Got the Style" for me (it worked), which inspired me to find the whole CD. At best, Vehicles & Animals is fun, uplifting and catchy, but after a while the sing-song quality of many of the songs starts to sound the same and it gets a little monotonous. It's a shame to say it, because I love "You Got the Style" and "Salvador," but I don't think the album is anything special, unless you want some mellow, cheerful background music."