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spotlight! a breath of fresh Air
By Christopher Gilmore
cgilmo10@mscd.edu

Air
Pocket Symphony
(Astralwerks, 2007)

France declares war!

The French band Air is waging a war on stress, anxiety and insomnia with their new album Pocket Symphony. While Talkie Walkie, Air’s critically-acclaimed 2004 release, was the background music for an ultrahip cocktail party, Pocket Symphony is the music for the morning after. When the ache of last night throbs in your head and the faint scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke hovers on your breath, this is when the disc thrives.

The track “One Hell of a Party” sets the theme for the album with a mellow piano played over a collection of relaxed melodies, telling a story about regretting the hangover but not the party that caused it. The breathy lyrics on this track are the most rational of the album, with a majority of its words appearing as complements to the music rather than as narrative.

At points it feels more like a film score than a pop album. The consistent tapping of a wood block on the opening track, “Space Maker,” conjures images of a wandering 20-something riding through the city with his girlfriend tucked close and arms spread wide on the back of his scooter.

Vagabond daydreams aside, it’s truly a wonder the band hasn’t scored more films than just Sofia Coppola’s 1999 story of teenage angst, The Virgin Suicides. As Pocket Symphony progresses, Air holds the reins on which direction the mood goes. They are masters of using tender music to flesh out dramatic moments.

“Mer Du Japon” stands out on Pocket Symphony as the track that doesn’t quite fit. The pace is faster, and additional layers of music are enough to question if it’s a suitable match to the serene theme already established. Yet Air justifies the track’s place with the rest of the tranquil music by allowing the instruments to fade away with fifteen seconds of calming ocean waves dominating midway through the track. The song jolts life back into the listener for the mellow finale of the album.

All the burning stresses of life fade away when listening to Pocket Symphony. Whether paying bills, fighting with the cat or avoiding term papers, one can rest in the soothing shade of Air’s newest album.