Air - Walkie Talkie reviewed

I like chill out music. I am very much a rock man but chill out music retains a special place in my heart for when I want to......well, chill out. Now Air are a French band that are best known for their album Moon Safari, an exquisite collection of chilled songs exemplified by such classics as Sexy Boy and All I Need. That was an album full of great songs.

1. Venus 9/10
A great start, classic chill out, slightly eerie but, if you have had a hard day at work and just want to kick back on the chair and forget about everything, this is your sort of song. Very simplistic in music and words (we could be together, lovers forever). Synth, mixed with a bass beat that follows the piano and simple drum beat. A very moody, surly piece yet still chilled out.

3. Run 8/10
Another great song. Their gallic background is more telling with this as you can hear an accent in the singing. Slightly eerie with an almost enya-ish sort of part when the singing fades each time. However, that should not take anything away from it! Definately an album track, but that is not to say that it isn't a great song. It just isn't the sort of song you would use as a showcase for the album as it isn't anywhere near as radio-friendly as something like Cherry Blossom Girl.

5. Mike Mills 7/10
No singing in this one which makes for a nice bit of variety. However, it sounds a bit too much of a musical interlude in the album for me to like it too much, like one of those tracks on (What's The Story) Morning Glory where you feel you are only getting half the song. A bit of a strange thing to say, I know, what with it being the fourth longest song on the album, but it does not have that full song feeling you get with something like the previous songs. Very like an orchestral piece that they have jazzed up a bit.

7. Another Day 8/10
Another moody one. Perhaps they are fed up with everyone trying to compare their albums to Moon Safari. Interesting contrast with the angry music and the calming French voice telling me "it's just another day". A heavy bass is the main instrument, with an odd synth making it's own tune. A good song none the less.

9. Biological 8.5/10
Is that the ukelele out again?! But it really works for this sad song. This and Venus seem to be the only songs that are more to do with love than anything else. It is a mournful song which begins the end of the album. As with all Air songs it uses a very mood-based type of music which is best heard when you have time on your hands and this is a great example of this. Possibly a future single, if cut down for radio.