Black Swan (album)

Black Swan
Studio album by Athlete
Released	24 August 2009
Studio	Sunset Sound Recorders, Los Angeles, California The Embassy, Los Angeles, California Metropolis, London The Neighbourhood, London
Genre	Pop
Length	44:11
Label	Fiction
Producer	Tom Rothrock
Athlete chronology
Beyond the Neighbourhood (2007) Black Swan (2009) Singles 01–10 (2010)
Singles from Black Swan
"Superhuman Touch" Released: 17 August 2009 "Black Swan Song" Released: 21 September 2009 "The Getaway EP" Released: 2 November 2009

Black Swan is the fourth and final studio album by English rock band Athlete, released on 24 August 2009 through Fiction Records. After leaving their former label Parlophone, the band members were in a period of financial uncertainty. Following an acoustic tour of the United States supporting Switchfoot, the band made demos with guitar and piano accompaniment. Tom Rothrock was impressed by the demos and was enlisted to produce their next album. Sessions took place at Sunset Sound Recorders and The Embassy, both in Los Angeles, California, and Metropolis and The Neighbourhood, both in London. Black Swan is a pop and stadium rock album that evokes the work of Coldplay.

Black Swan received mixed reviews from music critics, some saying that it was a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, while others felt it lacked lyrical substance and unfavourably compared it to Coldplay. It peaked at number 18 in the United Kingdom, as well as charting in Scotland and Switzerland. Of the album's singles, "Superhuman Touch", which was released as its lead single in August 2009, was the most successful, reaching the top 20 in Scotland. A tour of the UK followed, followed by the release of "Black Swan Song" and The Getaway EP in September and November 2009, respectively. They ended the year touring the UK; the album was released in the US in March 2010, where it was promoted with a three-month tour, with support from Carney.