Author: Rachel McCarthy-Moya
Pocket Symphony, the sweetly melancholic new album by the French duo Air, makes you feel as though you are sitting at a French cafe languidly sipping overly sugared coffee and nibbling a chocolate croissant on a dreary day. With Symphony, Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel have created an album that is decidedly sweet in a Serge Gainsbourg way, complete with enough lush piano solos to sweep you off your feet.
The album is a bit of a departure from their earlier work but still has that dreamy, just-rolled-out-of-bed quality. It’s pretty enough, but part of me wants more. Lost is the haunting and timeless quality of gems like “Playground Love” from their Virgin Suicides score. However, “Once Upon A Time” comes close, capturing the innocence and beauty of previous Air albums with its storybook lyrics and high bell chirp.
Jarvis Cocker’s breathy voice makes “One Hell Of A Party” another standout. As on “Alone In Kyoto” from their previous album Talkie Walkie, the duo tinker with Japanese instruments to give it a soothing, organic feel.
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Serge’s daughter, joins Jarvis Cocker on the bonus track “The Duelist,” which wraps up the album like a stretched-out sweater, leaving the listener feeling warm but not quite satisfied. As background music, this album is terrific, perfect as a backdrop to cooking or a late-night homework stretch. But for something more immediate, seek out their earlier work.
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