Karisma Records
It probably doesn’t seem all that long since “A Day at the Beach” came out in June 2020, such is the peculiar compression of time caused by the pandemic. However, the Norwegian three-piece has certainly moved on in that time. Like the previous record, the theme and the backdrop are political, with the lyrics tackling cancel culture and wokeism. “Erase”, the main single from the record, tackles this head on, as does the opener “Dysphoria”. And these songs contain much that fans of Airbag will like – Asle Tostrup’s edgy, vulnerable voice, full of subtle character and at times visceral force, Bjørn Riis’s soaring guitar and the familiar arpeggios and textures which are a hallmark of their arrangements. The other single, “Awakening” is also a satisfying listen, starting in a reasonably safe space, as a gentle acoustic-guitar backed ballad, this time looking at the role of echo chambers in our social media feeds on people’s attitudes. However, if you were to think that this is another run of the mill Airbag record, think again. It may have some musical common ground with its predecessors, with nods to Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree, but there are new sounds here too, like Tears for Fears and 90’s Simple Minds, which keep the sound world fresh. Then, there is the production and the overall sound of the record. Vegard Sleipnes at Subsonic Society plays a significant role here, having created a record which is spacious in the way of a jazz record, where the individual instruments stand out from the mix, almost as if you can hear where the players are standing, and behind that are a number of synth washes, intricate keyboard parts, and ambient sounds (some of which are in fact guitars saturated with effects), which wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead record. These stand over and behind the mix, without dominating it, which is part of Sleipnes’s trickery and also the careful choices of sounds made by Tostrup and Riis. The other thing which stands out is the quality of the drumming from Henrik Bergan Fossum. Although there is a less-is-more feel to the patterns and fills, the sound of the drums in each song is carefully, immaculately tailored.
The more complex rhythms are some of the most fascinating in their output, like in “Erase” as the rhythm is inverted in the close, or in the final piece, “Tear It Down”, which begins with an odd, jarring drum motif in an uncomfortable time signature. I have reserved special place for this piece. As the drum pattern takes hold, what unfolds is a spacious, curious, and rich piece of music – in fairness you can’t call it a song, as it has so many more parts than the punchy, almost raucous vocal breaks. As with the rest of the record, there is great space between the instruments at the start of the song, an open, gentle, ambient song structure, but that is just the start. At the heart of the piece is an electric piano section from Simen Valldal Johannessen (Oak) which forms a kind of melodic keystone, after which things become more and more remarkable. Kristian Karl Hultgren (Wobbler) also gets a foregrounded moment, as a brief bass solo is one of the many sections in this epic closing number, but his playing is there throughout the record, powerful, solid and fluid. After that, it gets darker, denser, and more complex, continually shifting, never quite returning to the earlier music. Episodic song writing or arrangement is hard, and Airbag admittedly take some of their inspiration from bands who are past masters – Marillion and Porcupine Tree to name but two. In “Tear It Down” they have attempted something genuinely bold and arguably more ambitious than any of their work to date and succeeded. To be clear, this piece alone warrants listening to this record. Without it, we would have a good record, with strong songwriting, forceful lyrics, and first-rate playing from the band and their guests alike (including Ole Michael Bjørndal, the musical mind behind Caligonaut), but add this final piece and the overall impact of the production, and you have something remarkable. (Intervju med Airbag i kommende nummer av NRM – bestill det her!)
4.5/6 | Alex Maines
Release date: 14 June 2024