ìWhenever you look you can see that everybody wants to be part of the rock scene,î chants Athlete frontman Joel Pott on his bandís newly reissued single ìWestside.î Funnily enough, everyone might want to be part of the ìrock scene,î but his band surely doesnít. This South London quartet is far more content making music tailor-made for sunny days at the park, where the beer runs freely and vibes are of the party variety. Athlete blend aspects of Beck with the Beta Band and Super Furry Animals and effortless pop and a distinctly sing-a-long quality are the by-products of this wondrous equation. To top it all off, the intro to the chorus each time through is a shouted, ìCHORUS!î You just canít beat that with a stick. Pop it on, lay back, and frolic in the joy of Athlete.
JEREMY P. GOLDSTEIN

Athlete
Parlophone

1. Vehicles & Animals
2. Athlete In Training For US Gigs, Album Release
3. Beautiful
4. You Got The Style
5. Beyond The Neighbourhood