Review: Athenaeum "Radiance" and "Athenaeum"

Athenaeum. What? Say it...ATH-A-NEE-UM. In Latin, it is a school in ancient Rome for the study of arts. The strange name is probably one reason this fantastic band never took off...DJs were too embarrassed they would mispronounce their name!

"Radiance" (1998). If you are going to recognize anything from this band, it would probably be the minor hit from this record called, "What I Didn't Know." An excellent tune, but my favorite cut is "Flat Tire." In fact, "Flat Tire" is worthy of 5-star ranking on the ol' iPOD. "Radiance" is a fantastic record. I admit I only instantly liked a handful of tracks first, but the others grew on me fast with repeated listens, as did the baritone quality of the lead singer's voice. These guys have very intricate harmonies and sophisticated songwriting - things probably not appreciated by most folks with the initial listen. The production is exquisite...and when I checked who was responsible it all made sense: Gavin MacKillop. If I were to make another record one day, my dream would be to have Gavin at the helm.

iPOD-worthy: all tracks!

"Athenaeum" (2001). A very respectable follow-up to the debut CD, continuing in the same vein with great melodies and harmonies. Highlights include the track "Comfort," which unfortunately flopped as a single, and "Waiting For You." Once again, the production is top-notch and the CD is sonically awesome.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9

Visit Athenaeum at myspace. They put out another CD upon their demise called "Hourglass," which is a collection of rarities and demo stuff. It is quite rare, last going for over $50 on Amazon. I've not heard it, so can't comment on how good it is relative to the other releases.

I'll close with video for "Flat Tire"...