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Rating: THE REVIEW
"...Once they wanted to become the new Oasis. (At one point in the nineties, everyone wanted to become the new Oasis..." www.mtv.it). Although they understand less than 0 about music at Mtv, this statement is quite true... In fact, the four guys were formed by listening to Coldplay, Radiohead, Grandaddy, Turin Brakes, Oasis, Beck. And you can hear it.In this "Tourist", there's a bit of all that. Originality is not at its peak; it all seems like things we've heard before. Perhaps this is the beauty of this album. The catchy melodies strike immediately, lingering in your mind like the mark of scissors remains on a sheet of paper.
"Chances" is highly reminiscent of early Radiohead, with a piano intro that is as simple as it is impactful. "Half Light" in the distorted part seems like a new version of "Yellow" by Coldplay, with a much more peculiar and incisive bass line. A somewhat predictable lyric ("...I just wanna be with you my baby..." repeated ad nauseam in the title track) makes us skip track number 3 altogether, and perhaps the fortune of the album lies precisely in this. Indeed, we come across "Trading Air", "Wires", and "If I Found Out", which are a cut above the rest of the album, as well as the wonderful "Street Map", which even though has a piano intro borrowed from the Veils, remains a track of rare beauty, perhaps among the best that 2005 has given us so far.
The album closes neither with infamy nor praise, with tracks that more or less trace the structure laid out by the previous ones. Not a masterpiece. It will not be remembered in 10-20 years. But for the moment, it's an album that goes more than well...
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Summary by Bot
Athlete's 'Tourist' draws heavily from bands like Coldplay, Radiohead, and Oasis. While originality is limited, its catchy melodies stand out. Some tracks like 'Trading Air' and 'Street Map' shine above the rest. The album is solid but unlikely to be remembered as a classic in the long term.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Athlete
Athlete are an English indie rock band from Deptford, London, formed in 2000. Their debut Vehicles & Animals (2003) was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, and Tourist (2005) reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, powered by the hit single Wires. Subsequent releases include Beyond the Neighbourhood (2007) and Black Swan (2009).06 Reviews
Other reviews
By Alex1965
"A beautiful album that grows with each listen and is destined to remain through the years for its simple originality and straightforwardness."
"Joel Pott’s magnetic vocals and guitar arrangements create splendid sonic visions, as if Dinosaur Jr. fell hopelessly in love with Coldplay."
By GrantNicholas
"An album that significantly improves on what was previously done and places the 'athletic' Londoners in the golden world of great Albion bands."
"'Wires' is a swirl of piano and acoustic guitar upon which a melody with considerable radio appeal is set."
