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Published: 18th October 2007

Athlete – not in it for the long run?

Athlete fail to get the heart racing

REVIEW - ATHLETE
Shepherd’s Bush Empire

ATHLETE’S workmanlike run-out at the Empire suggests they will continue to poke around the edges, without ever blowing anybody’s mind. Not unless they change their formula of slow, not-quite-The-Verve rock which always runs the risk of sounding dirgy.
The best thing they ever did was Wires, a serene indie epic, full of emotion capable of touching all but the meanest of indie world purists.
And, after showcasing bits and pieces from new album Beyond The Neighbourhood, this is still the case: nothing better than Wires here.
Like Embrace, they are always searching for an anthem and when they fall wide of the mark, it’s pretty mundane stuff.
So, while there was rocking out on imaginary guitars from the fans in the balconies and dramatic punching of the air whenever the band played something they could recognise, it all lacked a little bit of street cred. There was certainly nothing to get the heart racing.
The sweet character of Dungeness, a sweet tune about the romantic stillness of the Kent sand dunes, raised the bar. Twenty-Four Hours wasn’t bad either. And, in fairness, Wires itself was delivered with a passion that suggested the band know its a cracking tune.
But Athlete have been knocking about for half-a-decade now, it seems a long time since they mimicked Blur for the surprise hit You Got The Style, and need to come up with something fresh if they are ever to make second base.
RICHARD OSLEY

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