Air Pocket Symphony by: Mark Simms Tue:27-Mar-07 Label: Virgin Year: 2007 WB rating 75 out of 100

“Increasingly, we are trying to get away from the pop sound.”- Jean-Benoit Dunckel.

Is the ‘pop sound’ such a bad thing? Is it a repetitious and mundane style of music that bands eventually grow tired of, something they regret ever getting into because they now desire to do nothing but produce music that will not only tests their skills as creators of sound, but also the minds of their listeners? While never having been burdened with such a question personally, I can safely say the inherent catchiness of pop does often lend itself to superficial tedium, and if Air created Pocket Symphony because they believe something even remotely similar to any of this, then I will be more then happy to become a founder of the ‘Escape from Pop’ Movement.

In Pocket Symphony, Air creates the type of music it feels like they should be creating – closer to classical than their pop origins. Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel are absorbed in their instruments, their music now with more care and gusto, the delicate piano melodies, adroitness of the musicians, and pure catchiness of each track causing Pocket Symphony to be quite addictive. The atmosphere is unperturbed and somewhat nonchalant, as if this album’s construction is effortless, but hidden beneath Pocket Symphony’s façade of simplicity is layers of multifaceted melodies and samples of sound.

One way to diverge from pop sounds is to spend a year learning the art of Eastern classical instruments the koto and the shamisen with an Okinawa master musician. It is commitment like this that shows just how serious these two Frenchmen are in broadening their knowledge of sound. There is something about mixing conventional instruments and synthesisers with the koto and shamisen that incites a certain inquisitiveness and anticipation. And why not? This type of event rarely occurs; a band embracing instruments that to most would seem extraterrestrial, and incorporating their sounds into the music as if it has forever been this way.

“This album is different. We decided to go back to the soundtrack music-style, with more instrumentals and less songs.” – Nicolas Godin.

The focus in Pocket Symphony is entirely on the music, the singing secondary to the intricate melodies created; each track solicitously constructed and composed. The singing has still been considered, and works well with the music, but Air are now focusing more on whether their songs will succeed musically rather than attract new listeners or radio stations. Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon lend their vocals on this album, but these additions add little; the resulting melodies are bland. Pocket Symphony may only contain four instrumentals, but the album is moulded around this style – each track ruled by a strong instrumental presence.

‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘Napalm Love’ are two very infectious tracks in which the vocals help to enhance their catchiness, but ‘Mer Du Japon’ is the standout and most inventive piece of music on Pocket Symphony – mixing synthesisers with koto and enchanting the way few tracks ever will. It’s buoyant and enlivening, provoking the question of why kotos aren’t used more often. The only lyrics a single line: “Je perds la raison dans la mer du japon (I lost my mind in the sea of Japan)” – a fair description of Air’s new sound.

Pocket Symphony isn’t necessarily awe inspiring, or even an album that will blow you away, but it is certainly a step in the right direction for Air in trying to get away from the ‘pop sound’. It’s an album where no track feels like it should be skipped – a rare and commendable achievement.

Perhaps, and hopefully for their next album, Air will travel to Mongolia to spend three years residing with villagers in the mountains, so that they may master the art of a secret instrument that has been hidden from all of civilisation. Godin and Dunckal seem so dedicated to developing their music that this might just happen.

“You can’t fight against the future.”- Jean-Benoit Dunckel.