Album Review: Athletics- Who You Are Is Not Enough

You may not be familiar with the band Athletics. Don't worry, I understand. The band has not yet reached the level of national consciousness yet, but the key word in that last phrase is "yet". Any band who creates soundscapes this luscious and beautiful doesn't deserve to fly under the radar for as long as they have. The post-rock/hardcore band from the land of Bruce Springsteen, Asbury Park, NJ is most known for their connection to one of Keep Calm and Carry On's favorite band's Moving Mountains. They (along with Gates) were one of the openers for Moving Mountains show at the Stanhope House that Don and I attended in the spring. Moving Mountains vocalist Greg Dunn actually mixed and mastered the band's most recent release, Who You Are is Not Enough.

To put it simply, Who You Are Is Not Enough, is ambitious in it's scope. The five tracks on the album are actually 5 parts to one continuous song, listed on the album in roman numerals. The band seems to be on a mission to one up themselves with just how massive they can be on every track. "I", the first track, sets up a quiet rythmic guitar line, before singer Garrett Yaeger screams "Stay" and the band kicks in fully, with a screaching guitar line and cymbals a plenty. This kind of emotional outpouring is present on much of the album. Athletics seems to have learned well from their friends in Moving Mountains, as their sound is reminiscent of the Clifton Park outfit, but Athletics strays just enough away to make waves of their own (Okay, I'm sorry that was a terrible pun on the name of Moving Mountains' 2011 album).

The lyrics seem to be telling the story of a bitter breakup, as Yeager sings " It hurts less and less over time, but I'm not getting stronger/ I just leave pieces behind." Though this theme isn't exactly uncommon for this style of music, the band seems to convey these feelings in a more understandable, realistic way than a lot of other bands. The songs themselves carry even more weight than the lyrics, as the meandering guitar line in "III" tells the tale of sorrow even better than any lyric could. But when Yeager's voice is strained the emotion becomes even more powerful.

However, in order to achieve massive sound the genre of post-rock is known for, bands need to have serious help in the way of capable producers and mixers. Producer/engineer Kevin Dye does a fantastic job behind the board, as each snare blast is more crushing the last and the guitar tones sound out of the world on this album. The aforementioned Gregory Dunn proves he is one of the best mixers/masters around as well, as this has some of the best sounding songs released this year. Dunn also mastered Gates' first album/EP The Sun Will Rise and Lead Me Home.

Though the album has it's share of dark moments, it seems as though the optimism is returning to the lyrics as the cycle of grief is nearing it's end, as Yaeger sings, "Now the hardest thing: to begin again. Time may heal the deepest wounds, but a severed limb is gone for good," over a beautiful piano accompaniment, evidence that maybe the vocalist isn't ready to move on quite yet.

Bottom Line: If you like Moving Mountains, you may have just found your new favorite band. Even if you don't but you love the post-rock genre, gigantic soundscapes and brilliant lyricism, you'll enjoy Athletics' Who You Are is Not Enough

Recommended if You Rock: Moving Mountains, Gates, Explosions in the Sky, Moonlit Sailor