Air return with Love 2 their fifth studio album

By Mr HBF

Internationally revered French electronic pop duo AIR have just released their fifth studio album Love 2 the follow-up to 2007’s acclaimed Pocket Symphony.

Air’s Love 2 attempts to recapture the sound and essence of 1997’s Premiers Symptomes and 1998’s Moon Safari.

It features new material made in their new state-of-the-art recording facility the Atlas Studio.

Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel have managed to succeed where many fail and have created a fifth studio album that is better than their last outings.

The first stand out track is ‘Bee A Bee’ which is a fantastic return to form – featuring pulsing electric guitars and drums layered with a great moog riff – classic stuff.

While Love 2 maybe less obvious in it’s quality, it will probably need a couple of listens before it will click in the way Moon Safari did.

A reinvigorated Air have managed to recapture the style and originality of their sound by using a mind-boggling array of sounds and instruments.

The Album showcases the spangly electric keyboards, languid, bubbling wah-wah guitars and silvery, celestial analogue synths that made Air such a favourite of many .

Notable highs include ‘Tropical Disease’ which features soundscape and a tempo that can only be captured by highly skilled subtle French musicians.

If you close your eyes the music takes you back to a warm summers day in the French countryside – classic Air.

Vocals do feature through the album, but are dealt with in a careful and cultured manor – it remains original and true to Air’s ethos created 12 years ago.

It’s great to see Air back on top form, their recent material achieved a mixed response, and I have no doubt that this album will as well, but for me it well worth purchase.

If you are a fan of Air or just want to listen to well-produced French electronica there is nothing better.

This album cements Air in the top echelons of music with an intelligence and thoughtfulness rarely found these days.