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THE REVIEW
The Air have written the history of French music worldwide in the last ten years, thanks in part to the success of the beautiful "Moon Safari", an album full of relaxing sounds suitable for more "intimate" moments.
With some subsequent productions, however, they lost a bit of freshness ["10,000 Hertz Legend" (2001) and indulged in composing more commercial, yet high-quality pieces ("Talkie Walkie" (2004)], where new sounds were nevertheless heard needing improvement.
With their eighth album in ten years, the group seeks to perfect their music, releasing a CD with twelve tracks to be listened to in special moments, especially when one wants to rest while listening to dreamy music. All the songs keep the listener relaxed and the seven-minute tracks that could bore are gone, replaced by short and good compositional trials.
Naming the best pieces is unnecessary as they are all on the same level, however, it should be noted that there are some novelties in Air's music. Indeed, the Parisian duo has introduced for the first time musical instruments from Japan, also creating compositions that evoke the sounds typical of the Land of the Rising Sun, as had already happened in "Alone In Kyoto", the best piece extracted from the previous LP.
It should be noted the presence of the voice on two tracks ("One Hell Of A Party" and "Somewhere Between Walking And Sleeping") where the band features Jarvis Cocker, the Pulp singer, as in the previous "Talkie Walkie" the vocal performance of the French was not very good.
"Pocket Symphony" is preceded by the single "Once Upon A Time", a track that fully describes what can be found within the new album by the Parisian group.
This is an attempt to return to the roots, and if this is the starting point, they are not doing badly as other bands that carry on for years with the same intent.
Suitable for those who have always liked Air, and for those who have not yet listened to them, it would be a good starting point.
Tracklist:
Space maker
Once upon a time
Hell of a party
Napalm love
Mayfair song
Left bank
Photograph
Mer du Japon
Lost message
Somewhere between walking and sleeping
Redhead girl
Night sight
Rating: 3.5/5
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Summary by Bot
Pocket Symphony marks Air's effort to refine their sound with shorter tracks and subtle Japanese influences. Featuring collaborations with Jarvis Cocker, the album is ideal for relaxed, intimate listening. It balances familiarity with fresh elements and serves as a good entry point for new listeners. The album maintains Air's tradition of creating dreamy, soothing music.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Air
Air are a French electronic duo formed in Versailles, best known for the 1998 album “Moon Safari” and for composing the soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s film “The Virgin Suicides.” The core members are Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel.25 Reviews
Other reviews
By Adil
The Air of nine years ago are now just a faded memory.
The single Once Upon A Time is a typical calling card of Air: a piano supporting the entire structure, a drum machine as discreet as it is bland, a lyric that calling it naif is doing it a favor.
By Lesto BANG
N O T H I N G. Banal music.
Ok AIR, you joked and I took the bait like a fool.
By Ilpazzo
Pocket Symphony is a small POCKET MASTERPIECE!
The absolute masterpiece of the album is 'ReadHead Girl' — pure melancholic beauty that hypnotizes delicately like the song of sirens.
