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Reviews

Airbag — Identity
(Karisma KAR046, 2009/2021, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2022-02-12

Identity Cover art

With the reissue of Identity, Karisma now has the entire Airbag catalog on offer. This album originally came out in 2009 and was the band’s debut, but it shows all of Airbag’s qualities fully formed. There are eight songs full of atmosphere and melancholy moods, with soft, melodic vocals, washes of keyboards, and an occasional flash of energy from the guitar. It’s very much in the arena of later Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree, though only the mellower side of the latter. The songs tend towards the seven or eight minute range, and are not multi-part suites — they just take their time building the mood, often with very quiet beginnings that subtly creep into sonic awareness before establishing themselves. The music is lushly produced, with just the right amount of reverb to convey the mood without overwhelming the clarity, and the arrangements are expertly played, with nothing left to chance and no ragged edges. My only criticism is that it’s very much the same from song to song, with all being of medium tempo, slow development, and similar melodies. I could use some variety, preferably of the kind involving energy and a quicker tempo. For listeners who have discovered Airbag on their later releases, rest assured that you can work backwards in their discography and not find any surprises or deviations from their idiom, and Identity is the equal of anything they’ve recorded.

Filed under: New releases, 2021 releases, 2009 recordings

Related artist(s): Airbag, Bjørn Riis

More info
http://airbagsound.bandcamp.com/album/identity

 

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