Air

Air
Love 2
(Astralwerks, 2009)

My computer is confused. It is telling me that I last modified the file “Air_Love2.rtf” at 11pm on December 31, 1979. How fitting. This record is a real throwback for Air, eschewing a lot of the electronic vibe of their recent records Talkie Walkie and Pocket Symphony for a more organic, glamorous mid-’70s vibe that has as much to do with “Diamond Dogs” and “Crocodile Rock” as cocktail loops and James Bond. If there is one song from either of their recent albums that points in the direction of this one, it is the single “Mer du Japon” from Pocket Symphony. If you liked that song, hold on to your hats.

The cinematic quality of Air’s music was quickly recognized, and they pegged the soundtrack for Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides. But I think this record could be better used on the small screen: “Eat My Beat” and “Do the Joy” both sound like they could have been stripped off of cop show title credits. Japanese bonus track “Indian Summer” is equal parts Sesame Street funk and Skinemax—a good listen either way. “Tropical Disease” could work as a soap opera theme. It’s like a Bowie instrumental with gliding synth, wood flute, and piano ripping atop a fast dance beat, but it slides into a cut-time quiet storm section, replete with sax, for the latter half.

Air dusts off the vocoder for a few tracks too many. “Missing the Light of Day”, which echoes French band Cassius, overwhelms harmonic oohs and vocoder with well-placed arpeggios. “Danger Zone”, an iTunes exclusive track, slaps vocoder melodies over a light, cheap, Casio-type beat. The song is rescued by super smooth, breathy synthesizer and a surprise appearance by a calliope, giving the song the unexpected element of a creepy circus.

There are a few lovely numbers—like “Love”, “Night Hunter”, and “So Light Is Her Footfall”—that I’m almost certain I’ve already heard Air play before. They are fine songs, but they don’t take Air anywhere that they haven’t already been. That’s a little unfair. After these guys spearheaded the smooth, soft, synth niche with Moon Safari, there wasn’t anywhere left for them to go, and anyone expecting a lot of new ground to be broken would probably know to avoid this, their sixth studio LP.

Air has always existed in a realm of fantasy. Their ware is an idealized version of ’70s soft pop, recreated with a mix of authentic vintage synths and advanced recording techniques. With our tendency to romanticize every decade through a mixture of hair styles and hit songs, this is the only way to go. Air substitutes mock bravado and twee longing for the earnest pain of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “From the Beginning”, but keeps the synth solo intact. The overused vocoder (not to mention all the breathy vocals) is an example of this. They obscure the lyrics until the voice is simply an instrument; maybe this is the intention, in the key of Thom Yorke, but to a writer, it reeks of fear.

Still, Air can keep aiming for the same target with increasing accuracy, as long as the production and songwriting continues to improve (even by the slimmest margins). Two tracks stand out for this reason. “Do the Joy”, contrary to its name, is a glam-inspired slow-burner with Elton John-style keys, tri-tone horror tension, and fuzzy, reverberated guitar. The song sounds like a crisis exploding; maybe “Do the Hope-Against-Hopes” is a more suitable title. “Be a Bee” wraps super-spy guitar and catchy, monophonic synth over an ’80s electro beat, but eventually fades into a very smooth postlude that restates the theme in a less aggressive way. Listening to these songs, I realize that I haven’t been so immediately captivated with an Air release since I first heard the breakdown on Moon Safari’s “Kelly Watch the Stars.”

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]

Tags: Air, Love 2, Astralwerks