Moon Safari - Air > Reviews > Definitely something in the Air

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it rate alongside the competition	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Great mood music, good tunes, varied
Disadvantages:	Brief moments of Euro discopop

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Air's UK debut album, released in 1998, was a revelation for me. A concept album that was very nearly, conceptually and musically, naff, but that actually sounded so good you had to play it over and over. The album sold over 2 million copies so a lot of people felt the same way.

It starts very quietly, with what sound like the sound of rain, and then some percussion, a little like the start of Steely Dan's "Do It Again", but then the bass and the synths kick in and we enter another world altogether. Out of this world, even, as it's a 'spacey' sound.

As the album's title indicates, there is a 'space' theme throughout. It's not just the song titles (New Star in the Sky, Kelly Watch the Stars), the whole album includes effects which sound spacey, and on checking the credits I was surprised there's no theremin on there (the instrument used on the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" and a mainstay of sci-fi B movies). It's definitely an album I could imagine playing if I were on a space rocket.
So on the one hand a futuristic kind of sound; on the other very much a 70s influenced record. Think John Michel Jarre, Dutch band Focus, or Gary Wright's "Dreamweaver" (if you remember that), with a bit of Donna Summer disco, and you're getting there.
Some of the songs come across like cheesy Eurotrash, and "Sexy Boy" is the best example of this, but, like Daft Punk, Air seemed to be doing this on purpose, in a knowing kind of way. So it's alright to like it, then isn't it?

The cover is very low-key, even qualifying the band's name with "Air - French band" - it may have been to avoid a dispute resulting from there being another band named Air? Whatever it seems strange, it's obvious that Nicolas Godlin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel are French - there's their names for a start, a song called "Ce Matin La", and half the lyrics, of "Sexy Boy" (destined to be played in gay clubs for evermore) especially, are in French.
The song that I adore, and the one that I bought the album for, is Kelly Watch the Stars, has a wonderous, mesmerising, quality about it.

Another favourite of mine is "Remember", which has a fantastic Beach Boys style beat, and some nice electric guitars - because of which I suppose, it ends up reminding me of the late Pixies stuff, surprisingly enough.
The album is varied. "Ce Matin La" is very easy listening in style, with a herb Alpert style trumpet, but even this manages to sound good, probably due to the guitars again.
Then the track "All I Need" is acoustic-based, and features vocals from American singer Beth Kirsch.
Although I am not really keen on "Sexy Boy", I am still not tempted to programme it out when I play "Moon Safari", and the whole album flows together really well.

"Moon Safari" a great soundtrack for a real trip to the Moon, so remember to take a copy with you if you ever get chance to go on such a trio. But equally, on earth, I would say, good background music for a quiet night in, maybe even for a spot of seduction...

One word of warning on Air's subsequent albums - unless you like prog rock, steer clear. This one is their best by a long way.