Air
London Camden Roundhouse
26th February, 2010

View: standing, middle-right

With Alex Thomas behind the kit, the band opened with the suitably titled Do The Joy, Godin’s bass sounding surprisingly dirty for an Air track, while Dunckel’s synthesiser weaved in and out. Other Love 2 tracks were less absorbing: So Light Is Her Footfall and Tropical Disease suffered slightly from mono-tone, and all could have benefited from the subtle variations worked into older tunes. After three new album numbers, it was nice to have J’ai Dormi Sous L’eau, from Premiers Symphonies, appear, ethereal but zippy in its tempo changes. For the lovers, a competent version of Cherry Blossom Girl, then “a traditional French work song” – Alpha Beta Gaga – that had everyone whistling on the bus home. Finally, an encore where the band excelled: Heaven’s Light, Sexy Boy and a swirling, trancey passage through La Femme D’argent.

Reviewed by Eden Guin
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