On the record - Athlete go the distance

Aug 17 2009 By Polly Weeks

What's hot and what's not in this week's new releases.

Athlete - Black Swan

When they first emerged in 2002, Athlete were hailed as one of the most exciting bands in Britain. A Mercury Prize nomination followed for their debut Vehicles & Animals, as did a prestigious Ivor Novello award for Wires, written about the premature birth of singer Joel Pott's child. Success, both critical and commercial, has been few and far between since then, however, with third album Beyond The Neighbourhood largely ignored by critics and fans alike, leaving Athlete in that no-man's land populated by the likes of Travis and Starsailor. It's pleasing to report then, that Black Swan is, if not a complete return to form, a confident leap in the right direction, chock full of classic melodies and epic tracks. Look no further than opener Superhuman Touch for proof. There's life in the old dog yet.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Andy Welch)

Simian Mobile Disco - Temporary Pleasure

Having being credited as the cutting-edge inspiration behind the Arctic Monkeys' last album and stolen the show when supporting The Klaxons, the time is ripe for Simian Mobile Disco to take the music world by storm. It is, then, surprising just how flat their second studio album falls. Having injected the Monkeys' sound with a much-needed shot of adrenaline, here they let their own tunes fizzle and fade, while a top-drawer guest list conspicuously fail to fire. The Gossip's Beth Ditto and New York dance duo Telepathe turn in decent cameos but the likes of Gruff Rhys, Hot Chip and Yeasayer are well below par.

Rating: 5/10

(Review by Rory Dollard)

Vagabond - You Don't Know The Half Of It

What a truly terrible album, it's as if 'landfill indie' has been waiting for this release so it can be given out as an audio example of what the genre should sound like. It's probably been inspired by artists such as Scouting For Girls and Simply Red - make of this what you will. At least the those two groups had the decency to make some (albeit annoying) singalong songs. Vagabond's single Don't Wanna Run No More is the closest the British five-piece comes to being anthemic, otherwise it really is a boring release. A smug album by a band - backed by pop hit producers Xenomania of Girls Aloud fame - who seem to be crudely capitalising on a consumer-friendly genre.

Rating: 2/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

I Am Your Autopilot - Robots In The Orchestra

Mixing acoustic pop, choral arrangements and a smidgen of electronica, this is a good-quality album from the Manchester trio of Ben Evans, Graeme Brooker and Jasper Wilkinson. Sounding like a film score for an independent art-house flick, this is full of gentle lyrics and intricate instrumentation which accompanies rather than dominates whatever you're doing when listening to it. If you're of an impatient disposition, this album probably isn't for you as its cinematic feel gives it a slow-moving quality. For everyone else, it's not bad at all.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Woodstock - 40 Years On

Considering the confusing muddle of hippies, happiness, torrential rain, overcrowding and bad acid trips that was Woodstock, it's probably best experienced 40 years later, in your living room, via these six CDs. With Joe Cocker singing Let's Go Get Stoned on the same stage that John Morris later used to tell everyone about the importance of the medical tent, this album is not just about the music. It's about that moment in modern history which acknowledged that 'evil' drug-taking hippies and social harmony were like madness and genius, just two sides of the same beautiful coin. Sure, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Joan Baez, Sly & the Family Stone and Jimi Hendrix playing their hearts out to a rapturous audience makes pretty potent listening, but it's really the earnest updates about 'The Brown Acid' which turn this box set into a 'must-buy'. If you didn't stay awake for three days from August 15-18 in 1969 rocking out in New York's Catskill Mountains at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, buy this - and some poor-quality drugs.

Rating: 9/10

(Review by Sarah O'Meara)

Soulsavers - Broken

Sometimes the relationships that end up working out are the ones you least expect. That certainly seems the case with Soulsavers, an unlikely collaboration between LA-based UK dance producers Rich Machin and Ian Glover and former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan, who seem to be going from strength to strength. Broken, their third proper album, is once again dominated by Lanegan's deep, deep voice and a maudlin, country-gothic vibe (the Will Oldham-penned You Will Miss Me When I Burn sets the tone). Think Tom Waits or Tindersticks with lush ProTools production. Spiritualized's Jason Pierce is roped in for support.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Steve Kerr)

Mariachi El Bronx - El Bronx

The band name suggests a strange musical hybrid, which is exactly what you get. Originally conceived as a one-off side-project, Mariachi El Bronx are now enjoying far greater success than the 'proper' band that gave them birth, LA punkers The Bronx. Here they leave their snarling electric guitars to one side, sensibly opting to write a new set of songs specifically to show off their mariachi chops. Indie-rock songs sung in English backed by acoustic strumming and big horn section: as you'd expect, a bit of a novelty, a lot of fun and a solid summer listen.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Steve Kerr)

The XX - XX

Don't be fooled by the austere, abstract name. The XX's intimate, personal songs will make you feel good, in a melancholy way. In fact, it's their songwriting, together with their refusal to turn the emo knob up to 11, that lifts them above the current crop of early-Eighties revivalist indie acts. VCR celebrates the romance of the pre-DVD era, while Heart Skips A Beat lives up to its title with a stuttering rhythm track and minimal instrumentation. Low-key New Order guitar lines, nice synth textures and cute boy-girl duet vocals high in the mix - what's not to like?

Rating: 9/10

(Review by Steve Kerr)

Paul Diello - The Last Green Bottle

On first impressions, it's easy to think that Brighton-based Paul Diello is just another singer-songwriter. However, this is a surprisingly good debut offering. Full of strings and harmonies, this is an altogether high-quality album. None of the songs are particularly complicated, but the album's simplicity makes it successful. Easy to listen to, you can find yourself halfway through the album - even though it feels you've only been listening to it for two minutes. The Walk Home is a great instrumental and Crime Scene is an album highlight.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Tinchy Stryder - Catch 22

A luminary from the same East London grime scene that launched the much-feted Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder has produced a debut album which shows every sign of duplicating the Bonkers star's huge mainstream success. Already a chart fixture with the appropriately-titled Number One and Take Me Back, Tinchy has devised a hook-laden new single Never Leave You which looks set to continue his run of catchy urban pop anthems climbing high in the Top 40. There are clear dance/electro influences to the fore in the likes of Warning and the FrankMusik-produced First Place, and the overall impression is of a polished end product easily capable of cracking the highly lucrative American market.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Patrick Gates)

Singles by Polly Weeks

Little Boots - Remedy

Little Boots' first few releases haven't yet earned the attention her electro counterparts La Roux and Florence And The Machine have had, but this is a good dance number and should be a high chart hit for the Lancashire lass.

Kasabian - Where Did All The Love Go

The Mercury Prize nominees release another blast of indie-rock anthemia, which shows why the Leicester rockers' No 1 hit third album The West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum has proved to be so successful.

Daniel Merriweather - Impossible

Championed and produced by Mark Ronson, this is a strong song from the Australian. Ronson's impact is clear - expect contemporary soulful instrumentation to go alongside Merriweather's Motown-style vocals.

On the road

Live reviews

Standon Calling - Hertfordshire, July 31-August 2

Who would have thought that an hour north of London, tucked away in the grounds of a 16th-century manor house in Hertfordshire, there would be a three-day boutique music festival, now in its ninth year. What started out as a private birthday party with a DJ, a garden and a house, Standon Calling has now metamorphosed organically by word of mouth into a cosy, not-for-profit festival with an intimate, overgrown house-party feel. In this case, big is certainly not better. With only a 3,000 capacity, and a space exploration theme this year, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were at the most cosmic village fete in the country. Whether you're lounging by the pool, dancing in a tiny tipi or watching headliners Friendly Fires, Tony Christie or Femi Kuti, it's likely you'll bump into the same eccentric characters as you go about your mission. The focus of this party is giving festival-goers the best experience and not growing the festival or making money. Top marks to Standon Calling for an out-of-this world, niche experience.

(Review by Tori Mayo)

Upcoming tours

London rapper Master Shortie has announced his first UK headline tour in support of his newly-released debut album ADHD, with 15 dates starting in Leeds on October 4. Visit www.mastershortie.com for more information.

Former Catatonia singer Cerys Matthews is heading out on tour to celebrate the release of her upcoming third solo album Don't Look Down, with 11 dates from October 17. See www.cerysmatthews.co.uk for more details.