'VEHICLES AND ANIMALS'
(PARLOPHONE)
Jump, jump, jump.
Well you can at least dance, or slow-waltz at the very least, to Athlete's 'Westside' and 'You've Got The Style' timeless pop anthems.
As for the other 10 tracks from this debut album, most are much more chilled out and extraordinarily subtle in their sublime ways, as opening track 'El Salvador' dreamily makes you want to take to the road at the height of summer in the same way The Thrills' 'Big Sur' does with relish, its groovy pop purity and 'It's time to take new measures' lyric commanding rose-tinted optimism from all quarters.
While 'Westside' reckons 'Everybody wants to be part of the rock scene,' there is something very lo-fi and sweetly pared-down about this release, 'Shake Those Windows' harking back to Del Amitri's most beautifully poetic moments.
'Beautiful' is, and so unadulterated and uplifting this could quite feasibly become your favourite song of all time. There is no wonder this album was nominated for the 2003 Mercury Music Prize, as Athlete are just as emotive in their seriously loving and loveable ways as Coldplay.
The acoustic wonderment of the title track in 'Vehicles & Animals' itself is stunning, before 'Dungeness' and 'You Know' are equally as exclusively acoustic-rooted. Their 'New Project,' however,' is more Eels-esque� and throughout these 12 tracks the very English-in-nature lo-fi pop genius of ChrisT-T wings its way into my mind, just as 'Le Casio' closes this surreal ride with a nod and wink towards this band's obsession with the collecting and playing of keyboards.
I don't know how fit you are, but to see this band play these magical songs live again (I've only seen them once, supporting Mansun) I would walk 500 miles. And I would crawl 500 more. 10/10 (Steve Rudd)