4 MUSIC
REVIEWS
Athlete runs away with rock ‘n’ roll By BRYAN BARNETT Daily Titan Staff
First it was The Beatles, the English quartet that changed music forever and started a trend Americans still can’t get rid of, and why would we want to? This phenomenon immortalized some of the lasting names in the memoirs of rock ‘n’ roll history; now it’s shaping the future sound of rock too, namely in the form of another English quartet, Athlete. Despite some obvious resemblances to some big-name British bands like Radiohead and Coldplay, Athlete keeps itself distinct with a multitude of sounds on their second album release, Tourist. Athlete achieves melodious fluidity while hitting a wide harmonic range via keyboard, putting Tim Wanstall’s talented fingers to good use. “We each do our own thing and it all comes together,” drummer Stephen Roberts said. “It’s a very democratic process.” Last week at the El Rey while Wanstall pounded at his keyboard relentlessly; while Carey Willets slapped together a bass line; and while Pott manned the lead mic with guitar in hand, Roberts remained the glue that kept it all together. They were each doing their own thing, but it sounded like one big instrument. After playing songs new and
old, slow and fast, Athlete left the stage only to be called back vehemently by a hungry crowd filling the Victorian styled main hall of the El Rey. Potts talked at leisure with the audience throughout the show, creating a rather down-to-earth aura for the fans. It was a Above: Athlete vocalist Joel very personal show with Potts (left) bares his soul in not too much pop and not his song as Tim Wanstall too much rock, but rather balanced in a pleasing, (right) pounds on the keyrelaxed kind of way. Shy- boards at their show at the ing away from the glassy El Rey in Los Angeles. The pop scene, Athlete has band just returned from a moved towards rougher whirlwind mini-tour from waters with Tourist, tackling deeper human issues; Chicago to Germany and namely being on the road finally landing in Los Angeand having to leave friends les last week. and family behind. Right: Potts rocks the “Your life, your relation- crowd passionately to the ships go on hold. The album deals with these kinds beat that Athlete drummer, of issues we face, being on Stephen Roberts, creates. the road all the time,” Roberts said. In the span of five days, the band went from ChicaPott’s breathy, fascinating go, to Germany and then to Los voice gives life to the story in the Angeles to play at the El Rey. music. They’re first single off the alSo why the name Athlete? Does bum, “Wires,” sums up Pott’s the music allude to athleticism in experience with his baby’s birth any kind of power chord, Budcomplications. weiser-commercial way? Are they “You got wires going in. You obsessed with sports? Not at all got wires coming out of your skin. said Roberts. You got tears making tracks. I’ve “We needed a name because we got tears that are scared of the were about to do our first gig,” he facts.” said. “We need to work on that
Crow’s latest album soars JAMIE FLANAGAN Daily Titan Staff
story a bit.” But after selling 250,000 copies of their last album, Vehicles and Animals, the only thing Athlete needs to work on is booking more U.S. tour dates. They’re not the kind of band that gets over-hyped or that plays super-bowl halftime shows. They work slowly and methodically, building support the old-fashioned way: through good music.
Toni Braxton’s soul survives By DIANIKA ABBOTT Daily Titan Staff
After overcoming bankruptcy, a heart disease scare and leaving the label she had called home since the early 1990s, Toni Braxton, a name synonymous with survival, proves she is able to bounce back with the release of her fifth studio album, Libra. With six Grammys, two No. 1 songs on Billboards Hot 100 singles and over 39 million albums sold worldwide, Braxton – mother, Broadway star and actress – invites fans to listen in on what she’s been up to. Braxton welcomes her new start with record label Blackground/ Universal as she reinvents her music with a mixture of mid-tempo grooves and standard slow sultry
ballads. On the first track of the album, “Please,” Braxton’s low deep contralto voice convinces listeners she is not a mediocre lover when she asks other women to back up and give her and her significant other space to breathe. The next track, “Trippin (That’s the way love works),” rumored to be her second single to be released from her album, is reminiscent of the Braxton we all have grown to know and love. With lyrics that tell the truth about love, Braxton encourages listeners to hold on to love even when it doesn’t seem worth it. Known for her sensuous ballads, Braxton tries her hand at the Washington, D.C. metro area’s hot go-go sound. “Take This Ring,” written and
produced by go-go pioneer Rich Harrison, tells the story of a woman who decides to take off her wedding ring and get down and dirty in the club. This track, similar to Amerie’s “One Thing,” also produced by Harrison, contains a banging offtempo drumbeat and youthful lyrics. The ultimate jam session is “Stupid,” a jazz-like song in which she croons about her mistake of falling in love with someone who doesn’t share the same feelings. Complete with a jazzy breakdown, this song invokes the feeling of sitting in a dark, smoke-filled jazz club, gazing at a woman illuminated by a spotlight, passionately sing your story through song. A soothing voice, slurred lyrics and a simple acoustic guitar rift en-
tices listeners to pay more attention to the lyrics. “Shadowless,” the final song of the album, produced by her husband and Mint Condition band member Keri Lewis, nostalgically sings of a love lost. In this folk-like song, Braxton fervently explains how she is unable to cope with the loss of the man who completes her. “Gotta make it right with you/ Tell me what I gotta do/ To make you come back home.” Libra gives a good mixture of upbeat jams listeners can bump while primping for the club and the traditional sultry ballads only Braxton can sing. Longtime fans and newcomers alike will be very satisfied with this widely anticipated album. Toni Braxton is back and sexier than ever!
After some time off and obvious soul searching, Sheryl Crow has released her new album, Wildflower, seemingly composed between meditation and yoga sessions. Longtime Crow fans from both the pop and country genres may have to keep an open mind in order to appreciate the new song set. The 11 tracks are a deliberate departure from the upbeat attitude that earned Crow her fame. According to Crow’s official Web site, she says she did not want to be influenced by industry competition while working on her new album. Her goal was to create a more mature collection of songs that “asked the questions a 40year-old would ask.” The new songs are instrumentally far subtler than Crow’s previous work. On many tracks she sings more softly than usual and the title track becomes almost a lullaby. In composing this album Crow abandoned overt rhythms and heavy reliance on drums. Instead she makes the most of delicate background vocals and unobtrusive string arrangements. Woven between her trademark acoustic guitar, the supporting instrumentals create a gentle flow that is carried exquisitely throughout the record. The lyrics explore sober themes like the fluidity of life, finding one’s self and in “Where Has All the Love Gone,” staying positive in an increasingly disheartening world. One thing that is carried over to this album from Crow’s previous work is her belief that life is short and must be lived to the fullest as she sings in “Live it Up.” “Live it up, like there’s no time left/Just like there’s no tomorrow.” It is the fastest paced song on the record and is the only one that echoes the fun of hits like “All I Wanna Do” and “Soak Up the Sun.” Crow achieved her goal of producing a unique album infused with her own personality. It is a mellow and thoughtful collection of songs that may not be what fans expected, but it still retains an essence of Crow’s style that will please most listeners.
