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Perfectly, almost aggressively pleasant.
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There are a batch of mighty tunes here, and a sound that, while hardly de rigour, melds some of rock's freshest, brightest lights to their own street-wise, archetypal city swagger and 'Mockney' wit.
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Entertainment WeeklyCatchy, almost childish verses suggest the playfulness of U.S. acts like the Flaming Lips. [28 May 2004, p.127]
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FilterRife with an irresistible charm, sly English wit, and supremely catchy choruses. [#10, p.98]
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Mojo[A] breezy conflation of Beta Band-esque jollity, default indie guitar chime and High Llamas-style retro melody. [May 2003, p.95]
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Athlete's lyrical content is shockingly mundane.
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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.
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It's all about finding the friendly turtles at the end of the druggy rainbow, yet, since no one's in a hurry to get there, the songs loop along with space between the beats and guitarists who still seem to be learning their craft.
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Lethally simple pop tunes which sound like they were written during a particularly good seaside holiday in 1974.
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Manages both annoyance and perfection.
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Q MagazineIt's the laziest of comparisons, but their harmonies--and they do it expertly live, so fear not--do have the ring of The Beach Boys. [May 2003, p.99]
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For a band that regularly draws comparisons to Beta Band and Pavement, Vehicles & Animals is all too pedestrian.
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Athletes sound is a wondrous discovery for young teens just getting into chart indie or jocks who feel open minded for listening to something a little more complicated than Oasis. For anyone else really, Vehicles & Animals only offers up a smorgasboard of odd, inventive pop music thats only odd and inventive enough to try and sound less like everything else.
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A great record, guilelessly cheery and knowingly witty in equal measure.
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UncutA wearyingly one-dimensional 45 minutes. [May 2003, p.89]
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Under The RadarOverall, 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]
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UrbYou've heard it before and frankly, you've heard it better. [Jun 2004, p.90]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 6 out of 8
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Mixed: 1 out of 8
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Negative: 1 out of 8
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SeamussAug 21, 2005
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OliverPJun 20, 2005
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zeifgeistJun 13, 2005