Customer Reviews

Athenaeum

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Athenaeum's first major label release "Radiance" met with fairly broad success within the music community, with the single "What I Didn't Know" performing well on the charts. A few years later, the group is back with their self titled effort, "Athenaeum." I bought the album hoping for another "Radiance." What I have found is that like their first ablum, this CD can be listened to straight through. Every song can stand on its own merit, and together they are thoroughly enjoyable. It shows nice growth for the band, which makes me like it as much, if not more, than "Radiance."

Mark Kano lays down some stirring lyrics with such conviction that you can't help but get wrapped up in it. Alex McKinney throws out wonderful baselines. "Sweeter Love" is a masterpiece, and shows how the band has grown to incorporate new sounds into their presence. "Suddenly" "Frozen in Time" and "Waiting for You" and "Comfort" flesh out a great sound for the band. Every track has something to say...like a good movie, I find something new every time I listen to it. Very cerebral in that way, but also fun, with melodies that you can sing to and wailing guitars you can jam to.

Between records the band lost drummer Nic Brown and guitarist Grey Brewster, but added Remy Vogt (Tonic) and Mike Garrigan (Collapsis) to the lineup. They are going strong and sound as good as ever. If you are a fan of the now defunct, yet extremely popular band Collapsis, then you owe it to yourself to check out this band and this album. If you like what you hear, come check them out, their live shows in North Carolina are awesome! Hopefully they will be able to get on the road in earnest soon to bring "Athenaeum" and "Radiance" to a more national audience that I'm sure would appreciate them!

Buy this album! You won't regret it!

With a thick and burly voice, like a toned down Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies, Mark Kano is able to tie all the loose strings other bands in alternative music have been ignoring. Not since Toad The Wet Sprocket have I heard a band with the melodic hooks and singable lyrics these guys posses. I would be doing them a somewhat disservice to say they are reminiscent of Vertical Horizon because these guys, and this album, are much better.

This self-titled release represents a three year wait from the release of their first album Radiance, a true tour de force with songs that magically missed radio. (Don't hesitate to pick up that album as well, it's another one you will not be disapointed with.) I would find it even harder to believe that could happen again. Songs like "Comfort" and "Damage" sound like possible singles with their up front alterno-rock sound and catchy as hell melody. And then for those of you looking for the more introspective mellow songs you might want to try "Frozen In Time". A song who's message will leave you wondering "Why havn't I heard these guys before?" It makes me wonder too.

The other tracks on the album are just as strong. "Waiting For You" & "Suddenly" also posses every possibility of being played on the radio with the likes of Verve Pipe and Better Than Ezra.

Really, this album has all the potential in the world (much like the band) and delivers some fantastic songs. In an age where sophomore albums can sound bland or uninteresting these guys are pushing ahead at warp speed. Buy the album now so that when your friends are trying to be cool and say "Hey have you heard of Athena....something?" You can respond "I've been listening to them for the last few months, where have you been?"

Just in case you are wondering how to pronounce their name "ATH-A-NEE-UM"! And don't worry, it's one name you won't be able to forget after listening.

One could call Athenaeum a guilty pleasure, but I wouldn't knock this band that low. When I hear guilty pleasure, I think of something bad that you enjoy. Athenaeum is far from bad though.
I was skeptical about this second album after reading some of the reviews, but I went out and bought it anyways. "Radiance" was awesome so I figured that Athenaeum would release another good album. Before the album came out, I was hoping that this would be the album to launch Athenaeum into the mainstream. Sadly, I don't think it will. But after one listen to "Sweeter Love", my hopes have been revived for this band. Maybe a future release will get this band their well earned recognition.
"Frozen in Time", "Comfort", "If Baby's Gone", "Damage", and "Suddenly" are all great alternative songs. They all manage to grow on you after a few listens. Mark Kano's voice is what makes the band. Sure the lyrics aren't great, but you won't care after you listen to this album. I am glad to say that this album is every bit as good as "Radiance" and hopefully Athenaeum will keep up the work.

I found this band completely by accident looking for another group, but I was pleasently surprised by this CD. This group is in my top 5 bands of all time, just their sound and lyrics will blow you away. Here is the track listing:
1. Suddenly - 5/5 - Great opening to the CD, with great lyrics and beat.
2. Danger - 4/5 - Great song as well. A little repetative, but still a great song.
3. Comfort - 5/5 - The "big" song from this CD, it has not lost any of its strength over the radio.
4. Frozen in Time - 4/5 - A great sounding song, just not a personal favorite.
5. Sweeter Love - 5/5 - One of my favorite on the CD, the violins and guitar mixture makes this song amazing.
6. Plurabelle - 5/5 - My favorite song on the CD, with a great feeling and lyrics.
7. All My Life - 3/5 - Worst song on the CD, which is still a good song. Just isnt as good as the rest...
8. Waiting For You - 4/5 - Good song, with a harder sound and feeling then the rest. Great lyrics accompany this song.

9. Mistake - 4/5 - Great song about school that gels and flows very well.
10. If Baby's Gone - 5/5 - Great way to end the CD with a great 70's sounding song with a nice synthesizer in the background.

One of the best CDs I own, with its only low point is the few number of tracks. Better than Radience in comparison.

I've been waiting 3 years for this album and it was well worth the wait. These guys are simply amazing musicians and their written material seems to go above and beyond the call of duty for alternative rock music. While most genres seem to be getting homogenized these guys seem to have that little bit of a different sound without trying to be something off the wall. I've parused the entire album about 3 or 4 times since I bought it yesterday and I think it rocks a little more than Radiance. Radiance was a good album in it's own right but I found myself skipping around with some of the really strong tracks like "flat tire" "unnoticed" "what I didn't know" and "on my mind" taking up slack for some rather slow and depressing tracks, I found this album to be strong as a unit. You can pretty much listen to the whole thing through. Mark Kano's voice really gives the band their signature sound. Melodic guitar riffs like the one on "Frozen in Time" really add to the mix; the hooks are endless. I can see some people disagreeing and maybe disliking Mark's voice so I guess it's an acquired taste. The first 7 or so tracks are just great and really compliment each other right out of the box. While I usually find the last track on most albums to be rather slow snooty and reflective, I really like the last song on this one. I think "Frozen in Time" "All my Life" and "Sweeter Love" really take the award for the best tracks here. They're not just hooky and infectious songs but they're innovative and they integrate a lot of stuff you don't normally hear on a hot AC album like this. I really enjoy the jazz rock integration in "All my Life" the harmonies are just astonishing (I'm also a bit of a sucker for jazz-funk-rock too since thats the kind of music I write). Perhaps one of the best songs I've ever heard happens to be "Sweeter Love" It's just so different from anything I've really heard lately. It almost echoes a little of Billy Joel's "The Stranger". All the layers of instruments are just integrated with pure genius and it even has a bit of that Led Zeppellin black magic vibe to it. I think Mark's voice compliments the song perfectly and in the end it's one of those songs that I think is just so musically genius that it might unfortunately go over everybody's heads. 2001 has been a pretty decent year for albums from already established talent and I think this one fits into the top of the heap. Not many people know of Athenaeum which is a shame but I think they're probably one of rock music's best kept secrets. Maybe this album will vault them into household status. I think the potential is there. It's really a good infectious innovative and rocking album.

I, like another reviewer, stumbled across this band by accident. I was looking for more music like Toad the Wet Sprocket, one of my favorite 90s bands. This CD is a cross between Toad and Hootie and the Blowfish. In particular, the lead singer sounds much like Darius Rucker of Hootie. The melodies are a cross between Toad and Hootie. They are serious, but with a pop edge that makes them catchy and memorable. The lyrics are also meaningful. I can't address this CD in comparison to other Athenaeum albums, but I will be checking the others out soon! I'm quite sure this CD has not been given its popular due, as many, like me, are just coming across it by accident. It definitely deserves/deserved more promotion and popular airplay. Worth the investment!

This is an awesome album. If only the radio stations would play Athenaeum songs. The band would be a hit!

As a musician myself, I've heard a lot of grunge/alternative pop bands and these guys really stick out in a good way. There are few bands that have great melodic lines as Athenaeum does; their vocals are also unique for a band in their category. I've seen reviews stating the tunes on this cd are too simple; this is only half true. All popular music is somewhat simple, but this band is so unique they've created their own niche in the music industry whether anyone realizes it or not. After hearing "What I Didn't Know" (from Radiance) for the first time, I could see the writing potential of this band. I still don't understand why they don't get more airplay in the Pittsburgh area; they are more deserving of it. This new cd is not disappointing but is a great response to the first. It is somewhat different than the first cd, which is a good quality in today's music scene. I'm definitely looking forward to a third cd.

First off I just want to say that this CD is excellent. Probably one of the best this year. Check it out, and check the band out if they come to your town. Ok, second of all. In response to the review named "This is not a New CD" I just want to clarify to everyone that this IS a new CD. Athenaeum did have an independent release before their last album "Radience". But it contained NONE of the songs on this new album. It contained older versions of a few songs on Radience along with a couple songs that are not on either of the major label albums. I just wanted to let all of the fans know this. Quick hint to whoever wrote that review. If you don't know the facts, dont' review an album. Oh, and don't ever try to get a job with Rolling Stone or any other publication that reviews albums cause you would make yourself out to be a bigger joke than you already are!!

I was a big fan of Athenaeum's first album, and it's still one of my favorites. I've listened to the second self-titled one, and it's got some good songs. I'm really frugal about my CD collection, though (I have just over 30), and I don't think this one will make the cut. I think the first half of this CD is the better half. The songs I really enjoyed were "Suddenly," "Damage," and "Waiting for You." I was disappointed in "Sweeter Love," "Plurabelle," and "Mistake."