Loading ...Athlete – Black Swan
Whilst at first glance Athlete are, and have always been, a fairly middle of the road soft-rock outfit, I have always harboured a secret belief that there was something special about this South London four-piece.
Perhaps it was the glimmers of eccentric genius emitted in the forms of ‘El Salvador’ or ‘Beautiful’ from the Mercury nominated Vehicles and Animals, or the undoubted depth of personal emotion that laid the foundations of their commercial success with ‘Wires’. Whatever the source of their inspiration, (and Christianity certainly features prominently), Athlete always seemed to be coming from an interesting place, rendering even their mainstream devolutions into common denominator pop excusable, to an extent.
Sadly, Black Swan fails to advance the group out of this middle-ground, instead reinforcing the image of a band full of interesting ideas, but not quiet enough substance. Opening track ‘Superhuman Touch’ sets the trend. Anthemic and upbeat with its bubbling keyboards and rousing chorus, this is a clean and well-handled, single-friendly opener. The ‘Karma Police’-echoing ‘Black Swan Song’ adds a layer of darkness to proceedings, whilst there is even an attempt at a fast pace with the vibrant, rolling drums of ‘Light The Way.’
These are not bad songs, but at the same time, the listener will find it hard to summon the will for a second listen. The primary issue is the vacuous nature of the lyrics. Athlete have previously produced soul-searching, deeply personal moments, but Black Swan lacks the same feelings of intimacy. Certain empty metaphors, such as your “heart being like a stone” or “love rescuing me” occur with mundane rapidity. Even the interesting image of swallows judging mankind through the messages passed along telephone lines on ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ is then buried beneath yet another chorus about love’s redeeming power. They just don’t strike the same chord that they used to.
To be cynical, the sad conclusion may be that Athlete just don’t have enough personal tragedy and tribulation to spread over four albums. Without such inspirational spark, it is difficult to see this mediocre material gaining a wide audience. Incredibly dull and very disappointing.
