English indie rock band known for the albums Vehicles & Animals (2003), Tourist (2005) and Beyond the Neighbourhood (2007).

Band members: Joel Pott, Carey Willetts, Steve Roberts, Tim Wanstall. Reviewed albums on DeBaser include Vehicles & Animals, Tourist and Beyond the Neighbourhood.

DeBaser reviews praise Athlete's melodic, melancholic take on early-2000s British indie rock. Albums highlighted are Vehicles & Animals (2003), Tourist (2005) and Beyond the Neighbourhood (2007). Reviewers note strong melodies, piano-led arrangements, occasional synth touches and sincere songwriting.

For:Fans of early-2000s British indie/alternative rock, listeners who like melodic piano-pop and melancholic songwriting (Coldplay/Radiohead/Travis-style audiences).

 Beyond the Neighbourhood is indeed a different album compared to the previous two, which were too close to certain BritPop sounds (is there still someone who calls it "Indie"?) and reveal an interesting infatuation with electronics that hints at Synth Pop (and it was inevitable that this would happen) but is terribly elegant where the coexistence with a mostly "guitar-oriented" environment (I'm in the mood for neologisms... sorry...) is well-presented and not at all forced.

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 "Tourist," the second effort by the very young Athlete, is a true surprise in this 2005, a year lacking a bit of the "real novelty," the usual "big thing."

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 These Brits define themselves as the British answer to Pavement, but in my opinion, they're simply the happier and more naive Coldplay.

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