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Moon Safari
Air
Caroline Records, 1998
REVIEW BY: Sean McCarthy
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/08/2004
It's been a hard few years for France/U.S. relations. Even atthe height of the absurd backlash against the French, I couldn't,wouldn't boycott products from our smug, elitist big brotheroverseas. In general, they do have the finest wine in the world,they have some of the best cooking techniques under their belts and- heyah - Moon Safari.
For those unfamiliar with Air, the French duo has been aninspiration to director Sofia Coppola, who used Air's music topropel both The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation. Released in 1998, Moon Safari is a perplexing listen. It's definitely retro,borrowing heavily from the dance hall/disco sounds of the late'70s. There are parts of the album that would seem perfectblanketing the dance floor at your coolest dance club. Other partsof the album conjure images of elbowing up to the bar at a poshhotel at around 2:30 in the morning and nursing a vodka tonic orspending five uninterrupted hours sprawled out on a leather couchat a non-gentrified coffee house, lost in a set of headphones.
That contrast is especially evident in the first four tracks.The first track, "Femme d'Argent" takes its time to unfold. Thegroove is stretched over a beautiful, ambient moan. Then, the albumtakes a silly 180-degree turn with "Sexy Boy"; aplatform-boot-sized tongue-in-cheek club number that inexplicablyturned into a minor hit and likely cast Air as club music in manyunsuspecting listeners' ears. However, one track later and you geta devastating "All I Need," with Beth Hirsh's fragile voicecommanding your full attention to the point that you forget thelyrics. But just when you think you're ready to settle into a poshcouch and snuggle up with some herbal tea, you get "Kelly Watch TheStars" in the next track, with its groove so bouncy, it sends youback on your feet. If bipolar had a soundtrack in the late-90s,this album would definitely fit the bill.
The album does find its groove toward the end, opting for morechill-out than club-hopping. The last half of the album definitelyloses some steam, especially during "Talisman," a song that despitedozens of listens, still sounds like it be playing during a 'boss'stage in a video game. Still, Beth Hirsh returns to set Moon Safari back on track with the chilling "You Make itEasy" and "Voyage de Penelope" finishes off Moon Safari nicely.
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