Never has a band’s name fit its sound better than Air, the French
electro-pop duo whose music floats effortlessly on sparse arrangements
and breathy vocals. Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin recorded
Love 2 in their new studio intending to capture more energy and
spontaneous composition than ever before. Not satisfied with making
background music, Air experiment with bumblebee-like walls of sound,
chug-a-chug drums and smatterings of analog keyboards. The album jumps
to life with the psychedelic, sparkling chimes of “Sing Sang Sung,” and
the wiggling guitar lines of “African Velvet.” The most daring tune,
“Be a Bee,” transforms Air into a new beast entirely, with upbeat drum
patterns, smart riffage and croaking robot vocals. Most of the album is
a sweet ode to women, as the title suggests. On “Tropical Disease,”
climbing piano scales and glockenspiel work as their own profession of
love. Fans of Air will embrace Love 2 as a great record of
soaring love tunes. New listeners will have a nice introduction to an
evolving band with an always-soothing sound. — Danielle
Sills
This article appears in Oct 7-13, 2009.
