[.ca] Tourist

From Amazon.com:
After their first album brought Athlete both commercial and critical success in the U.K., it was always going to be a tough act to follow. But on Tourist, the London four-piece have ditched the quirky pop of their debut and instead created an album that rivals Coldplay with its sweeping guitars, soaring melodies, and emotive lyrics. Sonically, there's much going on here: from strings to electronic beats and squelchy, synthesized bleeps. As a result, Tourist manages to sound both epic and personal at the same time--a change reminiscent of Radiohead's move from the Britpop of Pablo Honey to the inspired songwriting of The Bends. Best of all, singer Joel Pott has managed to ditch the Mockney accent that marred their debut, making Athlete sound like a more serious proposition. And with songs like hit single "Wires," grandiose opener "Chances," and the bouncy, strutting "Modern Mafia," Tourist looks set to elevate Athlete to a whole new level. --Robert Burrow

Very well done!:
I bought this cd a month ago and wasn't sure what to expect, except that i knew it was releases on "Parlaphone" label. Which is the home of such bands as coldplay and radiohead. This album took a couple of listens before i really caught on but it is very good and i recommend that you purchase it if you are a coldplay/radiohead/john mayer fan. Song by song review: 1. CHANCES: 5/5.. this song is a beautiful opener, with some good effects and beautiful synth. 2. HALF LIGHT: 4/5.. a good radio single, catchy. 3. TOURIST: 4.5/5.. beautiful. reminiscent of red hot chili peppers.. that bridge is genius. 4. Trading Air: 3/5... a little weak but not terrible 5. WIRES: 5/5.. Best song on the disc, AMAZING single. 6. IF I FOUND OUT: 2/5.. this one's stretching. 7. YESTERDAY THRE EVERYTING: 3/5.. good song. 8. STREET MAP: 4/5.. picking up again. 9. MODERN MAFIA: 4/5.. very cool catchy song, just what the album needed. 10. TWENTY FOUR HOURS: 4/5... mysterious, very cool. 11. I LOVE: 4/5... beautiful ending. all in all this cd is awesome but does have its faults, i can't wait to see what they can do with a little more creativity, they do this better than most bands though and Coldplay has a run for their money.

Favorite album this year.:
This is my favorite album of the year thus far. Every track is great. Pick this up, you won't be disapointed.

Awesome. Just awesome.:
Just got this album for my birthday. Loved their first album and love this album even more. Great stuff. Expect them to be the new breakthrough artist of this year. The album opens with 'Chances', a piano-based song that starts slow and turns anthemic and powerful with the addition of strings and a great base line. Next is 'Half Life', the song that is most like the material on their last album 'Vehicles and Animals'. Then comes 'Tourist', one of my favourites, is a great mid-tempo feel-good song. 'Trading Air' was the song I liked most upon my first listen of the album...it's got an awesome base-line which needs to be turned up fully. 'Wires', the first single off the album, is hands-down the single of the year. I'm going to stop the review there and just assure you all that if you like Brit-rock you'll LOVE this album and you must must BUY it! (ie. don't download it for free please)

again brilliant:
A must own album. Clever lyrics and excellent music. This album will not disappoint you.Different from their first album but just as brilliant.This album gets played in my house all the time!

Wired!:
From the very beginning of this album, the relationships to Keane and Coldplay dissolve as Athlete's sound heads in a completely different direction. And it's a good thing it does, too! Keane and Coldplay's careful renditions and cookie-cutter melodies can be a bit trite at times, while Athlete tries on a new style of dress with a funkier sound. Lead single 'Wires' is probably the single of the year and it baffles me how it still has received little to no airplay in Canada! Highlights of the album include 'Twenty-four Hours' and 'Tourist' (my favourite single on the album which features sonic swerves and highlights Joel Pott's airy able voice). While Athlete has received critical acclaim overseas, their fate in North America remains to be decided. With an album like this, it can only be good news! Try also their debut album, 'Vehicles & Animals', which was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

• Chances
• Half Light
• Tourist
• Trading Air
• Wires
• If I Found Out
• Yesterday Threw Everything at Me
• Street Map
• Modern Mafia
• Twenty Four Hours
• I Love