Air @ Kentish Town Forum

I've been a fan of Moon Safari, Air's debut album, since it came out in a swell of French music that swept Britain during the late 90's. Daft Punk were the other big electronic band to break at the same time and although the two came from different ends of the dance spectrum they became a movement - at least in the eyes of the music press. Air have released another 5 albums since them but none of them has contained anything as anthemic as Sexy Boy or Kelly Watch the Stars, they may have been good albums, last years Walkie Talkie had its moments, and the new Pocket Symphony has some good collaborations but none have been quite as good as a whole as their debut. With no guest vocalists tonight though, it is easy to drift off slightly during the long instrumental sections that dominate the middle of the set. It is interesting to see the band work, with one of the guys providing what had always previously sounded like female vocals while the other's funky bass lines and use of vocoder on Sexy Boy were a highlight. So technically very nice and competent but for me they needed a bit more sparkle, and maybe a Jarvis Cocker moment to elevate the gig to the next level.