Since releasing Moon Safari, which I believe is one of the best albums of the 90s, French techno pop alums Air have been trying (and failing) to get back to that type of pinnacle in their career. 10,000 Hertz legend was a huge disappointment, the Everybody Hertz e.p. was one of the worst remix albums Iíve ever heard in my life, and City Reading was just about as close to a slap in the face to fans that you could get.

With Talkie Walkie though, it sounds like Air are finally trying to get back into the good graces with their listeners. After all they've enlisted Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. "Cherry Blossom Girl" and "Surfing on a Rocket" are great songs that almost seem to float on a
serene cloud of ecstasy. And "Alpha Beta Gaga" tries to woo listeners with a quirky chorus of whistling that is bizarre but soothing. But unfortunately Talkie Walkie more often than not suffers from just being too simplistic and
trying to play it safe. "Run" seems like it could have been an outtake off of any Enya album, and "Mike Mills" feels like a Phillip Glass film composition. In fact, most of this album feels more like a film score than anything, and
ending track "Alone in Kyoto" is exactly that since it was already featured in last years Lost In Translation. All in all, Talkie Walkie is a welcome return, but still a big disappointment.