Air
Pocket Symphony
Virgin/EMI


I was really excited when I saw the new Air album at the dB office, mainly because not only are Air almost legendary as far as musical chill-out goes, but also they've never really put out a bad record. They just keep plodding along, doing what they do well, sounding oh-so-nice and changing the sound of each album enough for it to be something new and special. 'Pocket Symphony' isn't the spaced-out lounge of 'Moon Safari', nor is it the bizarre melding of soft emotion and furious bombast of their soundtrack to 'The Virgin Suicides', or the rather more song-structured '10,000 Hertz Legend'. 'Pocket Symphony' is a blissful extension of their sound - vocal-heavy, more songs than extended pieces, the tracks are atmospheric and strangely catchy, but still everything we've come to know Air to sound like.

The French duo are more than just a production team - they're real composers and musicians as well. Working in a song format really seems to help Air display their talent for extended pieces of remarkable beauty, such as the thoughtful, piano-laced roll of Napalm Love, with bubbling guitars and breathy vocals adding shades and depth to an understated melody. They produce their music in an electronic context, but it's not the defining feature of their music. They just use electronic downtempo and lounge as a starting point for their own emotion-fraught pieces.

Mayfair Song is an acoustic guitar ballad, with very mellow piano touches in the choruses and a wordless, almost string-like vocal accompaniment. "I can hold the sun," he sings, the only words which stand out in a quiet vocal, and although pretty much meaningless, they display just how much Air care about aesthetic. It's always been their main focus, how nice a sound they can make and 'Pocket Symphony' is as a whole one of the nicest groups of sounds they've made. From the opening lull of Space Maker to Night Sight, which is almost a lullaby, simple and pretty, Air have continued doing their thing, which is as unique as it is pleasing to the ear. It's all just ear-candy, but it's some of the nicest ear-candy you're going to hear.

Ben Ford Smith