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Reviews

Airbag — The Century of the Self
(Karisma KAR277, 2024, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-08-18

The Century of the Self Cover art

Airbag’s sixth studio album brings us five more tracks of the style we’ve come to expect from them: atmospheric rock chiefly inspired by the sounds of Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree. Having listened to all of their albums, I’d be hard pressed to identify any changes in sound at all over the course of the years since Identity (2009). Their live unplugged album, A Day in the Studio / Unplugged in Oslo (2021), did present a change, though not necessarily a welcome one. In short, if you’ve enjoyed any of Airbag’s previous albums and could go for more of the same, The Century of the Self has you covered. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, it’s as good a place to start as any. These mid-tempo songs are impeccably recorded, skillfully performed, and dramatically arranged. For my money, “Erase” is the best song, driven by an insistent bass line and a great drum groove — ironically, it’s also the song that most directly resembles Porcupine Tree, and could probably pass for a Lightbulb Sun outtake. It’s even got a near-ambient section in the middle that builds up to the climax, much like a PT “Phase One - Phase Two” arrangement. “Tear It Down” expands the formula to fill fifteen minutes by adding a couple more cycles of building up from quiet  to loud. These guys are really good at what they do — I just wish they’d add something new to their bag of tricks.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Airbag, Bjørn Riis

More info
http://airbagsound.bandcamp.com/album/the-century-of-the-self

 

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