Talkie Walkie - Air > Reviews > Sex for your ears

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it rate alongside the competition
Value for Money

Advantages:	Chilled perfection
Disadvantages:	None what's bad about chillin'?

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Air – Talkie Walkie

Air are a mighty fine couple of French guys who make exquisite music. Full of Gallic charm and oozing French style they are true craftsmen who construct songs of real, delicate beauty and presence. Talkie Walkie is their 3rd studio album proper and is a definite return to form after their less accessible ’60,000 htz the Legend.’

Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin had their first release as ‘Air’ way back in 1995 and haven’t looked back since. Part of the same scene that brought us ‘Daft Punk’ they fit easily into that French/disco/pop sound and still manage to be very different.

The album opens with ‘Venus’ spooky hand claps and resonating piano chords with dreamy, almost whispered vocals. This gradually builds as synths and understated drums join in and the vocals become a mantra to loves young dream. The lyrics are very simple and will win no prizes for originality but it is the economy of words that helps to create a very dreamy soundscape:

“You could be from Venus
I could be from Mars
We would be together
Lovers forever”

‘Cherry Blossom Girl’ follows this and it is the standout track on the album. This track hits you straightaway and once heard floats around in your head for days. Avery simple bass line low in the mix with a wonderful Flute fluttering throughout and Jessica Banks helping out on the vocals, pure perfection.

‘Run’ reminds me very much of ‘Boards of Canada.’ However instead of just doodling on until catatonia sets in ‘Run’ actually goes somewhere and adds to the whole feel of the album. In those moments where you’re not sure if you’re still dreaming or are in fact waking is where you can find ‘Run.’ There are some great vocal samples where the phrase run just repeats for ages until it fades like the surreal loop of a familiar dream.

I'm not going to give you a run through of all the tracks I'll just say that the rest of the album continues in this vein. Sweeping strings complement grand pianos and rasping synths, recorded street sounds sit next to delicately plucked guitars and instrumentals such as ‘Mike Mills’ sit perfectly alongside the more pop ‘Surfing on a Rocket.’

This album is great for relaxing to, for just sitting down and drifting away on a wave of journeys in sound. Not quite as great as ‘Moon Safari’ but very close to it. Mr Benoit and Mr Godin have learnt a lot since ‘60,000 htz the Legend’ and have also created a very filmic element thanks to their work on ‘The Virgin suicides’ soundtrack.

If you liked zero 7, St Etienne, Boards of Canada and generally music to chill out to then this album is for you. Its £8.99 well spent trust me.

Other albums available from Air are:

Premiers Symptomes - a collection of early singles and remixes.

Moon Safari- the debut and a 'must own' album.

The Virgin Suicides- Wonderful soundtrack to Sophia Coppola's movie of the same name.

60,000 htz the Legend- the second studio album with some help from Beck on vocals.