A Breath of Fresh Air?

When I first discovered Air thanks to their wonderful song All I Need it prompted me to buy their album Moon Safari, (which I still highly recommend 13 years later by the way).

If you're not entirely convinced just listen to the smooth sounds of La Femme D'Argent and tell me you're not blissed out after only a few minutes:

Unfortunately the same can't be said of their much anticipated new album.

While I wanted desperately to like it I really struggled to find a song on there worth sharing today....

maybe my expectations were too high but I felt less of the magic included in their past tracks and far too much 60's kitsch - which can be fun mind you if done properly, but in Love 2 it simply comes across as psychedelic cliche.

They have real vintage pop smarts which you can hear in

Playground Love for example but in my opinion they've lost something vital this time around. Very unlucky...

So after much deliberation this is my list of least disliked songs and therefor my breath of "Fresh Air" kind of:

• Heaven's Light - Lovely accompanying video and by far my favourite from the entire album.
• Missing the Light of the Day - Could've done without the synthesised voices I thought.
• Love - Maybe this album grows on you... much like mould.
• Tropical Disease - Ummm, I envisaged Austin Powers in an elevator actually... perhaps contracting a tropical disease.
• Be a Bee - Sort of cool in a Spy Who Shagged Me kind of way.
• African Velvet - No, I can't believe they gave it this title either.

Rather disappointing don't you think or am I just not appreciating the Woodstock feel?

(Maybe this album's supposed to come with a magic mushroom for greater appeal?)

How have they managed to lose their telltale uncanny ability to make schlock sound beautiful and instead give us this "strange reversal: beauty rendered schlock, pop melodies and space-age wonder curdled by damaged whimsy." - Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Air:2 

Is it me?

Am I just too school for cool?

Linking up this debate with Thea's Sunday Session to see what you all have to say.
So fire away!