Thursday, July 15, 2010

Music Review - Athletics


Athletics is a five-piece out of Oneonta, NY and might be the perfect example of small town meets big sound. With their latest upcoming release Why Aren't I Home?, it seems they have plans to bring back the good parts of post-hardcore and leave behind the corporate schlock we're being fed.


With an ambient air and soaring main vocals, Athletics' music is somewhat of a journey. Lyrically, they are relatable, in a way we relate to the language in our daydreams. The pounding cadence set by their drummer, especially on tracks like Jordan and the title track, remind listeners that it's possible to be hard and melodic at the same time.


This album is a next step from their EP Sleep Comes in Interludes which laid a brilliant foundation for Why Aren't I Home? to be built upon. The mixture of fast and slow, hard and soft, with pulsating guitars and occasional keys makes for an amazing listening trip that is, unfortunately over before you realize how far you've come. So then you really need to listen again. And there is no disappointment on the second trip through.


With any luck, I will get a chance to see these characters live in the near future, and I am sure their stage performance will overtake the awesome power of this studio effort.



Where to find them:



  • UPDATE: Now available on iTunes and Amazon.com - GO GET IT ALREADY!!

  • I was able to get an advance copy, but I'm sure these tracks will find their way to their MySpace page soon enough

  • They are also on Facebook

  • Their ep Sleep Comes in Interludes can be found here


RIYL: alexisonfire, The Stay Lows, The Appleseed Cast, American Football