Kraftwerk meets Pink Floyd

Review Score: (8/10)
Having never heard the Moon Safari or Virgin Suicides but read about them this was my first listen to Air. At first I was taken back, way back, to the 70's! My first reaction was pretty typical, this is a modern version of Pink Floyd. Listening closer I heard echoes of Kraftwerk but the PF sound dominated. Check out the editorial reviews for specifics on this CD. As far as a first time listener goes this CD really left me unsettled, not knowing if I really liked it as a whole or not. In the end there are enough really good songs to make up for any doubt. If anyone who is unfamiliar with Air is listening to this with you be prepared for the question I got, "Do you really like that?" At times it is so cheesy and bizzare that one can only sheepishly grin and say "yeah, most of it." This is one of those that I listened to several times and then stayed away to come back for a fresh approach to clarify any doubts as to wheather I liked it or not.The more I listen the more I like it, new things are discovered with each listen. I do like it for the qualities it has which are retro yet forward, mixing sythns, guitars and the proverbial kitchen sink to create a collage of sound that defies the senses and puts the brain into space mode. Contrary to many reviwers I do like the inclusion of Beck with his cowboy drawl. My faves are the instrumental "Radian" with it's haunting intro(have they landed?)spacey textures, soothing melodies that flow endlessly before plunging into the abyss, the atmospheric "Sex Born Poison" that begins sleepily and dreamlike cascading like a waterfall with stacato vocals that eventually crecendo into a warped zone,"Electronic Performers" that immediately created a buzz for my ears (it is the lead track) with it's echoes of Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine," "Carmel Prisoner" with it's synth droning and fluctuating sounds that weave in and out , Kraftwerkesque bleeps, tweeks and other electronic oddities creating an aural experience that is dreamy and reflective of space travel and "Lucky and Unhappy" with the paradox title pretty much saying it all as the driving beat puntuates the repetitive chorus. "People in the City" is catchy, quirky and smart all at once, erupting into electronic chaos that is the city. This is a very good CD that requires more than a couple of listens but is worth the time invested. If you dare you will reach the levels of the stratoshere with Air.

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