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In a recent interview, Jean-Benoit Dunckel
and Nicolas Godin of the
duo Air stated they were trying
to get away from their previous pop sound. This
begs the question, when has Air ever tried to create
pop music?
Their newest album Pocket Symphony
accomplishes this goal magnificently, as there
are no pop hits located within its twelve tracks.
While teenagers won’t be burning up the
phone lines at MTV’s Total Request Live
begging to hear “Mer Du Japon,” Pocket
Symphony is a solid album that fans of Air
should enjoy.
The first track, “Space Maker” creates
the symphonic feel Dunckel and Godin wanted for
the entire album. It could best be described as
the overture. It begins with the tapping of wooden
blocks and is overlaid with acoustic guitar, piano,
and synthesized sounds that build an intense sound.
Most of the songs on Pocket Symphony
are sparse with lyrics, and this is one of several
that are purely instrumental.
“One Hell of a Party” marks the exploration
of Eastern sounds for the band. Inspired by his
girlfriend, Godin learned the Japanese instruments
the koto and shamisen. The song provides an interesting
blend of sounds with the twang of Asian stringed
instruments, but with English lyrics sung in a
stilted, French accent, the vocals seem disconnected
from the rest of the song, making them distracting.
“Mer Du Japon” continues with Eastern
flavor but the sound is much more modern and contains
French lyrics sung in Haiku form. The blend is
much more natural and it seems to come more naturally
to the duo.
Air rounds out the Pocket Symphony with
the improvised and organic song “Night Sight.”
This instrumental shows off classical influences
with a distinctly modern sound, using an irregular
keyboard pattern backed by an ethereal synthesizer
sound. On a personal note, I listened to this
album during a yoga session as I tried to write
the review in my head. While the entire album
fit nicely with yoga, this last song helped me
to relax and bring my thoughts together. I’m
so metaphysical.
Air has always provided a good place to get away
from the typical pop music flooding the airwaves
and blaring out of speakers at Safeway. Pocket
Symphony is no exception, and rather than
providing a catchy tune, the album creates an
encompassing atmosphere that is both different
and comfortable.
www.pocket-symphony.com
www.astralwerks.com
-Ian Nelson, April 25, 2007
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