Air - Pocket Symphony

Air
Pocket Symphony
Astralwerks
Grade: A-

At this point in their history, Air has crafted and cornered their own sound and have risen on high to be the best known atmospheric pop band in the world. Between albums, the non-stalker gets the sense that any day could be the last for Air – that they’ve created what they intended and to press on may do an injustice to what has already been recorded. That’s why each new Air record is deemed not just as another gift, but also another challenge for Air to live up their good name. On the twelve-song Pocket Symphony, Air meets this challenger by stripping away the pop structures that dominated 2004’s Talkie Walkie and moves back to atmospheric instrumentals – those that can stand alone as well as be perfect soundtrack music.

Again utilizing the production skills of Nigel Godrich, Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin of Air took the less is more approach to Pocket Symphony. Songs are stripped to the basic ebbs and flows of drums, bass, and various keys, synths, and sounds. Dunckel and Godin still add vocals to songs, but in a sparser manner which only adds to the ordinarily light effect. The group also employs a new cadre of instruments, specifically Godin’s use of the koto and shamisen and varying electronic nuances. Besides from some of the usual suspects helping Dunckel and Godin, Jarvis Cocker lends vocals to “One Hell of a Party” and Neil Hannon leads “Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping.” Cocker’s heavier vocals certainly add a new dimension to the typically lithe Air.

To assure the correct mood for Pocket Symphony, Air begins with the instrumental “Space Maker” – classic Air atmospherics tied down with smooth bass and picking acoustic guitar. “Once Upon a Time” starts similarly to a number of songs on Talkie Walkie and Dunckel’s light vocals lead the path halfway through. Yet, “Once Upon a Time” is one of the few songs here that resembles the more pop elements of Talkie Walkie. The Cocker-led “One Hell of a Party” meanders in a shrouded path, while “Napalm Love” follows past Air songs with multi-layered Dunckel vocals shushing a set of the same lines over and over – here, “How strange is your love/how strange is your love/how warm is your love/how tough is your love.” “Mayfair Song” serves as instrumental filler only partially realized, before the excellent “Left Bank.” With excessive fuzziness in the recording, “Left Bank” is one of the more traditional pop songs on Pocket Symphony. What is odd, though, is the quality of the recording. It sounds off – with distortion surrounding the vocals and guitars. Given that Air and Godrich are superior craftsmen, one must assume this was done on purpose. In previous sequencing fashion, “Photograph” is constant atmospherics and leads to a much more poppy “Mer Du Japon” that even with few lyrics stands on its own. The instrumental “Lost Message” introduces the aforementioned “Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping” with Hannon on vocals. And like “One Hell of a Party,” “Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping” is a more conventional melodic song than most of Pocket Symphony. “Redhead Girl” and “Night Sight” close out Air’s fourth proper full-length. Dunckel uses his ethereal vocals on “Redhead Girl” with Godin propelling the song with all manner of instrumentation including koto, glockenspiel, moog, and wind chimes. “Night Sight” is minimalistic, heavy electronic instrumental that is only aided by single note soundscapes.

Even if Air doesn’t directly create material for some new hipster films, you can bet that Pocket Symphony will be well-mined for soundtracks in the near future. For some that’s grand, for others it’s heretical. Either way you can use Pocket Symphony as the soundtrack for your life starting today.