Every so often an album comes along that actually burns an image within your life that can never be erased. One that reminds you of an entire time period. One that may only be best described through the soundscapes in which it creates. This, much like the majority of Air’s phenomenal releases, is without a doubt the case of their latest release Walkie Talkie.
With each and every breath of Talkie Walkie’s ten tracks, that visual soundscape is created without any need for actual visuals. These two pioneers of electronica meld together atmospheres in with simplistic layers of sound to the point of a mind numbing state. Not only does the music feel as if it has been mutated from some far off space factory, but the vocals also take on the quality of something otherworldly in all aspects.
Two of the tracks are by far some of this French duo’s best, and have been sticking with me for days now. “Cherry Blossom Girl,” which flows with one of the most beautiful guitar melodies I’ve ever heard in electronica and dreamy vocal qualities, brings me back to the days of “The Virgin Suicides” (Air were the masters behind that film’s amazing soundtrack). The second track of astonishing quality would be “Surfing On A Rocket,” which manages to make the listener feel as if they are traveling at light speed through the cosmos splashing deeply into the creamiest milky way of your imagination.
There’s no doubt that these guys are masters at what they do – successfully creating a genre of music that will never be fully realized through words, as the music itself needs no definition. However, Talkie Walkie is not their best effort. I believe it will take a miracle to supercede the affects of Moon Safari, but it’s damn close. After producing a total of 40 songs and narrowing it all down for to just 10, I can’t totally complain. Any space alien out in the vast universe would agree. . . . Air is the language of the stars.
