'Alpha Beta Gaga' is a similarly off-the-wall instrumental, with the band chucking a whisling loop and some melodic country guitars in the mix just because they can. The lyrics are complete nonsense, but that's kind of the point. 'Surfing on a Rocket' is dumb fun, the sort of oddball electronic nugget that could only have been made by AIR. The Virgin Suicides was a horror movie, after all, and this seems like a logical progression in the same vein. Combined with the creepy freak out that is 'Run' and the weird 'Biological' and it would be foolish to believe that Talkie-Walkie is all sunshine and Lemon Jelly. Sharing the same downbeat ambience, album opener 'Venus' talks about how the protagonists could be lovers forever over a strangely unoptimistic backdrop. It does nothing particularly obvious, but its trudge of sonic resignation somehow worms its way into your consciousness anyway. Whilst neither the best nor the most immediate track on the abum, it has a silent infectiousness about it that sneaks up on you. Taking the relaxation a stage further, 'Another Day' sounds positively lethargic, but this description belies the quality of the track. Best of all is the instrumental 'Mike Mills', which abandons the vocals altogether and devotes itself entirely to a lightweight, aural balloon ride. 'Universal Traveller' (making unintentional reference to the previous point) is in a similar sonic vein, with those soft French accents floating over the beeping synthesisers like helium. The fluttering woodwind flourishes, cover art and lyrics harken to an oriental influence that would also run through their later work (such as 'One Hell of a Party' and 'Mer du Japon' on next album). The lilting acoustic guitar and laid-back electronics would not sound out of place on their debut and the whole song structure harkens back to a more conventional verse-chorus template. Sadly, for them, they're still not going to get my seal of approval, but it's at least a step in the right direction.ДЄnyone doubting this album's chillout credentials need look no further than lead single 'Cherry Blossom Girl'. Understandably unhappy with not receiving my seal of approval, AIR have changed their tune with fourth album Talkie Walkie and have returned back to the same Easy Listening style as their debut, albeit with some futuristic nods. Unfortunately, they were both also wildly inferior, with yours truly going as far as saying 'I can't help feeling that Moon Safari's the best they're going to get'. Hence, their next two albums - the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides and the progressive 10,000 Hz Legend - were both wildly different to their predecessor. Their debut album, Moon Safari, was stratospherically successful, but it also consisted of just the sort of Easy Listening nonsense that AIR seemed to want to avoid. It is just so wholesome, especially when compared to others in electronica! I highly recommend it be your introduction to AIR.ДЄmour Imagination Reve were stuck between a rock and a hard place. This album may still be my favorite work of downbeat electronica. They have consistently interesting chords and nice singing, although the singing is a little sparce. Other songs, of course, are even more laid back on this album, occaisonally drifting off in a far more ambient direction, but they are structured appropriately. Another day is to me a prime example of how an electronica group can establish a deep, funky groove without sacrificing the quality of the melody and progression. Some standouts are Venus, Surfing on a Rocket, and Another Day. I really wish AIR would make another album more similar to this one, because these songs can keep me listening. Some of the lyrics are a bit silly (and basically faithful to the space theme here), but they work aesthethically. It could rightly be accused of having a strongly poppy nature in parts, and I would call the overall mood bittersweet.

They both do vocals, instruments, etc, and while one may normally think of electronica as cold and stripped of emotion, the effect they achive here is a far departure from that.ДЄdmittedly, they are going for something a little different here on Talkie Walkie than on some of their previous work, which was better received by some this seems to be a higher pursuit. They are a great group, with other good albums, but here is where the songs seem almost to transcend electronica altogther and achieve something truly otherworldly.ДЄIR is basically comprised of two guys, Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicholas Godin. Classic Downbeat Electronica I am reasonably confident this is AIR's best album.

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