Hmmn. I can’t really begin to describe how much of a problem I’m finding Air these days. Maybe because the days of cute dance music is over, maybe because nothing will ever beat their fantastic work on Moon Safari or The Virgin Suicides OST. But I think the problem lies with the latter. Of course Air gained a cult following after Sofia Coppola’s smash 1999 film. It’s obvious. They created a masterpiece which reflected the awkwardness of the film. Air will always be associated with young love.

And so they’ve milked it to the heavens with “Love 2”. Oh, what an ironic title. These days Air seem more Café music than blissful, abstract listening. Okay, there’s your review summed up in one sentence.

But there’s a real problem. And I do concur with Pitchfork’s Nate Patrin; they don’t really speak English. And when they pen their lyrics, it sounds like terrible broken English which has been put into Babelfish for a computer to translate. The title “Sing Sang Sung” fits this notion perfectly. With lyrics like “Do did done/ don’t be so down/ Ring rang rung give me a ring,” you kind of

begin to wonder if this is really intelligent music.

This has worked in the past however. Their music has been abstract and edgy enough to hide the flaws in the lyrical composition. This time, on Love 2, Air’s music, well, just “floats”. There is nothing that holds the pieces together and this is why it ultimately fails.

Radio thrashed-out “Do The Joy” isn’t as joyous as I hoped it would be either. Of course, there’s the traditional floaty Piano/Moog sound that they’re famous for; but in a world where music is competitive, “Do The Joy” gets lost in a sea of repetitive radio playlists.

By gaining weakness in their musical formula, they’ve but become background elevator maestros or café music at least. The problem with café music is that nobody listens, and well, it’s monotonous. I hold out for the day Air creates beautiful music again, because Moog synthesisers kick butt!

- Hannah Robertson.