It's been six years since 'Moon Safari' was released; an album which did much to trigger a second wave for all things easy listening, not to mention a new respect for French music. Yet in the intervening years Jean Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin have hardly uprooted any trees; toying with rock music and soundtrack commissions the time has come for a return to form, with partial success achieved in the shape of new album 'Talkie Walkie'. There are tunes here, plenty of them, carried off with customary Gallic flair. 'Cherry Blossom Girl' is one of three or four tracks which sees them in typically languid, hazy form whilst 'Run' is sheer bliss using the kind of vocal samples originally heard on 10CC's ubiquitous 'I'm Not In Love'. Sadly even on that aforementioned much-loved first album Air had a tendency to turn their tunes into vapid background music and this is particularly true of the final few tracks. So depending on where you stand on the Air debate 'Surfing On A Rocket' serves as a rude awakening from peaceful slumber or as a much needed slice of dreamy pop music. Not a perfect record by any stretch of the imagination but somehow it's good to have Air back.