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While armfuls of musicians can sing songs and sound entirely forced, insincere and phony, Potts is blessed in that every word he sings sounds authentic, honest and direct. In a musical landscape chock full of Auto-Tune and feigned emotion, a disc like this is certainly something to champion.
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Wisely though, they've seen this as a time to consolidate, not experiment or wander off on the tangents which have undermined them in the past.
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Alternative PressThe group's fourth outing supports singer Joel Pott's super-earnest reflections with melodies and arrangements direct and sturdy enough to bear the emotional weight. [Feb 2009, p.92]
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Black Swan is a definite sign of progress, though, and the band would do well to follow its path on future releases.
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It's an expertly crafted pop record, sure, but Black Swan ultimately reduces to its primary points of reference without any broader context or sense of purpose.
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The band's experimental side (the side that made them good) has suffered, as if "Wires" was the new blueprint on how to write successful songs.
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This is music for a Hollyoaks montage, or for waving mobile phones in the air to at V festival. It's hard to love.
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Ultimately, this smoke-and-mirrors approach will not do. The smoke is too smoky, the mirrors too reflective of too much else out there at the moment.
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When alone, the sweeping choruses that swarm Athlete’s fourth record, Black Swan, shoot for the rafters without any substantial emotional anchor—the songs get lost in the clouds.
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The closest this popportunistic foursome comes to satisfying songsmithery is "The Getaway," whose title is sound advice for potential buyers of this album.