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Air Traffic

Charlotte

Label: EMI Records Release Date: 26/03/2007

22608
domgourlay by Dom Gourlay March 28th, 2007

Choppy riff that sounds like everyone and no one? CHECK

Vocalist with a sweet radio-friendly voice that gets uurgh... so agitated come chorus time? CHECK

Irritating lyric that ends up being cheesier than an Edam factory ("Your face, my place”)? CHECK

And so the story goes...

Air Traffic have all the indie credentials to satisfy those a little too cautious to tune into Jo and Zane on a daily basis, having released their first single on the legendary Fierce Panda. But then so did Coldplay and Keane.

They've also got a name that combines two of the most ambitionless, mind-numbingly dull acts of the last three decades, and while they thankfully don't make ambient prog-rock with French subtitles, 'Charlotte' isn't exactly what you'd call the most ubiquitously groundbreaking record of all time.

With a riff borrowed from Feeder and a vocal that's only slightly more edgy than The Feeling, this record will undoubtedly go down well with people who see Razorlight’s and the Kaiser Chiefs’ current output as being cutting edge.

To be fair, it isn't actually that bad. Unfortunately, all the signs are there that this is merely a precursor to some dreadful aural atrocities in the future.

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