Boxes - Stickers

Now, mention Athlete and what comes to mind? Beige? Middle of the road? Indifference? Perhaps you cared and continued to follow their journey post Tourist. Either way, (ex?) Athlete bassist Carey Willetts comes at us with his blend of electro-indie pop perhaps influenced by the later sounds of the band. This is his incarnation as one-man band, Boxes.

Opener, ‘One’, an instrumental, has a surprisingly warm fuzziness. With the obligatory electro beeps, it culminates in dramatic crescendos, almost as though it is telling a tale of tragedy.

‘Don’t Look Down’, ‘Silent Alarm’ and debut single ‘Throw Your Stones’ saunter along pleasantly enough with the squeaks and pings, guitar and are stand out tracks on the album. The latter in particular is not too dissimilar to the infectious ‘Fireflies’ by Owl City.

In ‘Red Skies’, what makes a pleasant change is the use of vocals to soften what can be quite an angular sound of electro, veering towards indie pop. ‘Wake Up, Wake Up’ and Stickers do the same and are just as inoffensive and somewhat forgettable at the same time.

‘Sharks’ is perhaps the gem in the album. Showing off Willetts’ vocals, it builds slowly and beautifully with him and the piano – the closest you get to an electro ballad on album and lyrically make you swoon (if you’re a girl, obviously). When the bleeps kick in, you think it won’t work, but coupled with the sweeping violins, it retains an understated elegance throughout. I can’t Imagine ends the album on a similar note to ‘Sharks’, though replacing piano with acoustic guitar. It doesn’t quite have that lingering, haunting effect, but is a commendable effort nonetheless.

Sometimes you can’t help but think the electro elements have just been piled on here and there, producing a number of so-so tracks. Other times it works so well, but only when working with the strengths of the soothing qualities of his vocals.

Although it is a very well produced, slick affair, ‘Stickers’ somehow has the ring of heard-it-all-before, circa late noughties – in the not very distant past. However cyclical, fashions and trends in music or otherwise, are spinning at an ever-so quick rate. Boredom ensuing is perhaps a more telling sign of our times than an indictment on the album.