Vehicles & Animals - Athlete
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Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

  • Summary: This debut disc for the South London, England quartet (originally released in the UK in 2003) was produced by Victor Van Vugt (Beth Orton) and gained a Mercury Music Prize nomination.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 17
  2. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Lethally simple pop tunes which sound like they were written during a particularly good seaside holiday in 1974.
  2. Perfectly, almost aggressively pleasant.
  3. Overall, it's refreshing to hear an album so disarmingly free of pretense... but those who like their rock with a little more edge are advised to look elsewhere. [#7]
  4. In their insistence on trying to mix quirky, quiet electronica with beer-swilling pop, without the two informing each other, Athlete too often fall into a formulaic and predictable model.

See all 17 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. Seamuss
    10
    A Complete difference from their stunning sophmore effort. This is one of the most accesable and original pop albums I've heard in years. Theres nothing forced about this album. It flows with the ease of a seasoned band and is one of the best Debuts i've ever heard. Brilliant. Expand
  2. RosieG
    10
    This band is absolutly amazing, how anyone call call it 'utter toss' is beyond me. Its hard to describe the music, my advice, just listen to it and you'll understand how good it is. Watch out for 'Tourist', they're new album, out soon :) Expand
  3. Surprisingly good. An impressive debut that celebrates the rock scene of the 70s to the present day. Sometimes too happy and too intelligent for its own good. Expand
  4. OliverP
    4
    This album flatters to decieve for me. They are sometimes mildly witty, but the songs are on the whole very dull and bland, almost sleep-inducing at times. Expand

See all 6 User Reviews