THEY say the best music is often that which challenges you beyond the initial adrenaline rush of a first listen.

So it is with Athlete, whose expansive material has grown in grandeur and confidence over the course of nearly a decade playing together.

Their Mercury Prize nominated debut Vehicles and Animals found itself hailed as a modern classic, that was swiftly succeeded by an equally massive follow-up.

Most bands would gladly settle for a decent slice of chart action, yet this London-based outfit went one further in unleashing killer lead single Wires, which claimed an Ivor Novello award.

As their bass-player Carey explained, creating their own studio to produce epic-sounding third record Beyond The Neighbourhood has proved an immensely satisfying experience.

"We’re really proud of the new album. At the beginning we were a bit nervous as to whether we could actually produce and record it all ourselves.

"But it turned out just fine, we didn’t have to sit around thinking 'this guy’s going to cost us 60,000 to make it and we’ve only got a week to do it in'. We’ve had the time to play around and be more creative."

You can feel the sense of assurance coursing throughout this bristling album, which strikes a largely upbeat tone that suits their sound well.

Reflecting an added maturity, their themes have also expanded further still, from pondering war to the questioning the state of the world around them.

Clearly in less talented hands, such contemplative material may be in danger of sounding utterly contrived and enough to prompt a hasty trip to the CD changer.

To their credit, the lads’ deft songwriting skills make this a genuinely heartfelt recording demonstrating a strong curve of progression.

"We just wanted to write about things that we were all talking about in the pub. Just a few years ago no-one knew what a carbon footprint was.

"There’s so much stuff going on out there, the disasters and wars that are going on. So the album’s more of a reflection on how life is.

"Our singer Joel writes a lot of the songs which I think is important as he’s got to sing with integrity which you only really get when something is your own," added the 30-year-old on the album which has already made a strong impression on the charts.

As for Carey himself, his earliest musical experiences came while growing up in Crewe. From initially playing organ, he quickly graduating to guitar and bass in his teens.

After moving to London to pursue his dream of rock and roll stardom he hooked up with the other three Athlete members who were trading under the pretty uninspiring name of Cub.

"We had record companies interested in us but I think what we were doing was just sounding dull. In the end we just said let’s just start again.

"At the time I didn’t think our music was going to be changing the world, but we were excited by it. Our name didn’t have any grand theological meaning or anything- we were just in the pub and one of us thought how about a sporting type name."

Every group needs it’s fair share of fortune in the business. With some modesty, Carey conceded their slow-burning debut "slipped under the radar" for a while, but there weren’t so many guitar bands around when they started out which aided their cause.

But they soon found plenty of competition as dance music's stranglehold on the charts gradually ebbed in favour of more alternative flavours.

Athlete proved themselves equal to the challenge with their first two albums managing multi-platinum sales.

Tours of the UK, Europe and flirtations with the US were to follow which offered many highlights. They even managed a Kent warm-up gig at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone to preview the release of second album, Tourist.

"All of a sudden you just couldn’t move for the Wires single being played everywhere. It just connected with people and it was an amazing moment to live through - that everyone knows a song of yours. And to win the Ivor Novello was just great, too."

From their base in Deptford it wouldn’t be surprising if another award-winning tune were to spring from their arsenal in the near future. For the moment, their UK tour beckons and it seems they are fired up for the occasion.

"I love playing live which is definitely the best thing about being in the band. But I guess after about seven or eight months on the road as it has been in the past, you’re ready for a break.

"The other three lads are really looking forward to the London gig as it’s a home show for them. It should be really great."

They may well have matured and broadened their scope a little over the last couple of years, but their renowned live shows still fizz with the kind of energy which captured headlines the first time around.

- Athlete play the Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Thursday, October 11 and Friday, October 12. They also play Southampton Guildhall on Wednesday, October 10.