July 3, 2007

Air Traffic

Fractured Life

6 / 10 Anyone with even an ounce of rock’n’roll spirit would probably rather go 10 rounds with Josh Homme than listen to ‘Fractured Life’. Piano-driven? Hailing from BOURNEMOUTH? Haven’t we been here before with Keane, Athlete and fucking Captain? Well, bugger us sideways, it’s actually not that bad! Opener ‘Just Abuse Me’ (despite having a name like a rejected Evanescence B-side) is an entirely pleasant piano-pop romp that doesn’t put a foot wrong, while ‘I Like That’ is an equally lovely cross between Ben Folds Five and ‘In It For The Money’-era Supergrass. So the vocals occasionally stray into bedwetter territory, and it’s inevitable that songs such as ‘Shooting Star’ will be daytime radio fodder in a matter of months, but who cares? Air Traffic are frivolous, fun and far better than Maroon 5.

Rebecca Robinson

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