#6
Air
Pocket Symphony
It’s been three years since the release of Talkie Walkie, Air’s last studio recording. That album established a sort of compromise between the edgy electronic rock of 10,000 Hz Legend and the lush, space-lounge sound of Moon Safari. So the question was would the duo of Jean-Benoît Dunckel and Nicolas Godin follow up with the same middle-ground approach, fall back to an earlier sound or blaze off in an entirely new direction? Well, even after listening to the newest Air release Pocket Symphony numerous times, I still don’t have a clear answer, but the one thing I can tell you is this: It’s damned good.
For one thing, Pocket Symphony relies less on the novelty of Jean-Michel Jarre-esque synth washes and vocoder-filtered vocals than earlier efforts. In its place are gently strummed acoustic guitar, cello and even Japanese koto. Sure, the electronics are still there—they just don’t steal the show. And far more than on previous efforts, the overall mood here is deeply melancholy, introspective—chilly, even (surely those ice sculptures of Godin and Dunckel on the cover were put there for a reason). There’s nary a moment of fizzy electro-pop or space-age bachelor pad music to be found.
Instead, we’re treated to slow, spare, atmospheric dirges. And while that may sound like a buzz-kill to fans of Air’s earlier sound, the truth is that the duo make it work brilliantly. Stripped bare of their usual electronic veneer, we learn the truth—that these two are truly masterful songwriters. Take “Left Bank,” for example, with an unshakably beautiful and mournful melody, framed by only the sparest of accompaniments. Or the more rhythmically snappy “Once Upon a Time,” which uses piano, drums and tasteful synths to conjure a memorable meditation on life and love.
Granted, there are fleeting glimpses of the Air of old: The opening track “Space Maker” could almost be an outtake from the Premiers Symptomes EP, and “Mer du Japon” vaguely recalls the more propulsive moments from Moon Safari (albeit with a distinctly Asian flavor). But for the most part, Pocket Symphony seems to chart a promising new course for the band, one that’s simpler, wiser and far more haunting.
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