PT. 3

My kidney hurts. Make no mistake, I have two of them but only one hurts. I read somewhere, not a long time ago, that eating alone causes kidney trouble. That may be an explanation. 

Some days of my life really look like Sex in the City episodes, but without the sex. Today's issue has been Romantism. Has passion grown out of reach through all the social changes that have changed relationships between men and women ? Have we killed romantism, and if so, what becomes of the few romantics around? I didn't really get an answer to that question, but something can be taken into account: a friend's friend, in a steady relationship, is jeopardizing everything by letting herself fall in love with a guy that lives in a squat with a dog. 

is it possible to let ourselves fall in love anymore ? do we have the guts necessary to climb up a mountain only to jump off of it, hoping that something will stop our fall ? Are the people who follow that track crazy ?

I guess that the answer is "yes." love is a risky business and only burnouts will play the game. I won't call myself a burnout but i really don't feel like playing any other games. Once you've tried this one i guess you can't go back to the other ones. Poker is funnier than hide-and-seek.

This album, Air's third (fourth if you count the Virgin Suicides' soundtrack), had me perplexed for a while but now i think it's pretty good. A part of me has always liked the band, another has always hated it. Probably because of "Sexy Boy" and also because they're French. As an indie member of the French community i tend to reject every French band signed on a major. Principles. It's not the same with foreign bands. At least they're exotic.

So. the album, just like the previous ones, is filled with good energy, love everywhere. And that's weird. I mean, at some point hate or anger has to show up. maybe they're romantic. It starts with "Venus," a slow and sexy song with a keyboard line that reminds me of the Furyo soundtrack (the younger of my uncles used to play the 7" of Ryuiji Sakamoto's theme track in repeat). "Cherry Blossom Girl" is a great single and it struck me when i saw the video that Air's music, no matter how well-intentioned, could also sound really bleak and dirty, under the varnish. I don't like every song on the album but the good ones make up for the not-so-good ones. "Another Day" reminds me of 10,000 hz Legend "Sex Born Poison" (a hell of a song), it has the same worrying quality. 

The album sounds more focused than 10,000 hz legend, which had a couple of great songs in it but sounded quite confused (to me at least). There's a sonic thematic in this one that holds it together. Nigel Godrich produces (zzzzzzzzz). The music is still delicately crafted and doesn't really sound like anything you've heard before (i guess that's one of the reason why i like them). Talkie Walkie surprised me, i didn't think i would enjoy listening to this record as much as i actually am. surprises are nice. 

So, what was i talking about?

Oh yeah. I ended up in a really lousy bar tonight, pub rock, french pop, a huge videoscreen broadcasting Fashion TV, lots of half-drunk guys watching the aforementioned screen, hypnotised by teenage girls in underwear, and a few girls here and there. i thought, as i left, that living this lonely life, expecting something different, is not that bad after all. 

-Barbara H

/feb 15th 2004/