Some great talents have come from the United Kingdom: The Coral, Radiohead, Joss Stone, etc. Another UK group that should be recognized for their musical capabilities is Athlete, an indie rock phenomenon that produces beautiful, electronic-saturated tunes with articulate guitar rhythms. Purevolume blessed me with their creations and converted me into a fan almost instantly.
"Half Light" is a spacey groove with tender vocals that serve as the perfect accompaniment for the meliffluent chord progressions of the guitars and symbol-laden percussion parts. Gentle pauses in between verses and choruses give the song a story-like feel, as if the band members are making sure the audience is still paying attention. The electronic aspects of the song and percussion parts give the song a powerful pulse making it extremely kinetic.
"The Outsiders" consists of a melancholic sound from Athlete's electronic instruments supported by low, mysterious vocals. There are so many pleasing sounds in this song, yet together they come off as somewhat spooky and sorrowful. The texture of the song is soft, but the serious tone of being an outsider is not lost thanks to the distant keyboards and lyrics like, "Let's pick a fight on whomever we like, 'cause we're never wrong. Nobody likes us. We don't care, so let's lose ourselves." This song showcases how well Athlete can rock some electronica in their indie rock.
"In Between 2 States" is a melodic celebration of the strange, unexpected sounds electronic instruments can create. It is chock full of sound variations, giving it a very Pink Floyd-with-a-pinch-of-David-Bowie vibe. I think making it purely instrumental was a fantastic decision on Athlete's part because since so many diverse sounds are produced in the song, adding vocals would have taken away from the quality of the song. The best part about this song being on Purevolume? It's free to download it! Go to the band's purevolume page to get this gem in your iTunes.
Athlete is the perfect match for ears that enjoy relaxed, electronica-heavy music. Fans of Coldplay, Plushgun and Keane will fall in love with these guys. Watch the music video for their song, "Wires" that captures their entire musical aesthetic.
What do YOU think of them? Comment and let me know your thoughts on Athlete's style.
Thank you for reading. Shuffle on.
Photo Credit: http://www.purevolume.com/athlete/photos/2173850
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