Air's LateNightTales Review

Some downtempo music can make you feel like an emo kid held-up with a bureau full of black eyeliner. AIR’s compilation of mood-enhancing tracks titled, “LateNight Tales” diverges from most similarly styled albums in that it evokes more than run of the mill sadness. A tidy package of ambiance, soul, and electronic pop, LNT is as uplifting and enlightening as it is moody and contemplative. Often lauded as pioneers in the creation of soulful and meaningful electronica, the French duo AIR are known for melodic and hypnotizing tracks that share universal appeal for both lounge-lovers and mainstream pop fans. LNT is no exception and brings together the best in lyrically rich music from all over Europe, American, and Austrailia.
This album was deceiving only in that I had hoped to listen to LNT as a way to bring about sleep in the darker hours of the night. Such attempts would be futile due to the captivating lyrics found throughout the album. While the beginning tracks serve as a melodic backdrop for subtle and melancholy sonnets, the heart of the album is in its midsection sample. Including tracks such as The Old Man’s Back Again by Scott Alexander and Let’s Get Lost by famed songwriter Elliot Smith, this part of the record made me think about the futility of angst and depression. In Lost, Smith writes, “Burning every bridge that I cross / To find some beautiful place to get lost.” The beauty of this album is that it leaves the listener feeling such hopelessness only to return with a great sense of inspiration.