Supergrass released their fourth LP, Life on Other Planets, in 2002 to more acclaim.  Gaz Coombes’ older brother had played keyboard on all three of their previous records, but it wasn’t until this album that Rob Coombes was credited as a member of the band.   The record was produced by Tony Hoffer, who had previously helmed Beck’s Midnite Vultures and Air’s 10 000 Hz Legend.  Drummer Danny Goffey claimed the reason for bringing in an outside producer was to keep the songs “short and sweet” as the band felt that their previous LP lacked some urgency.  The result kept on with previous releases in that there are some outstanding singles, such as “Grace” and “Rush Hour Soul,” as well as a few missteps.  If anything, the record cemented Supergrass as one of the finest singles bands of the last 20 years.  This is evidenced by their spectacular 2004 greatest hits package, Supergrass is 10. If there was an iTunes singles chart from 1995-2002, Supergrass should have been a mainstay in the Top 10.

In the years following, the Coombes’ mother passed away and Goffey’s life became publicly scrutinized due to his tumultuous relationship with longtime partner Pearl Lowe.  These events were reflected on their fifth LP, 2005′s Road to Rouen, which was recorded in Rouen, Normandy in northern France. The record marked a significant shift in the band’s sound, from energetic guitar-pop to a denser, more orchestral interpretation.  Don’t be fooled though, the gorgeous melodies and hooks are still there, especially on album closer “Fin”; one just needs to dig a little deeper to find them.

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Day 5

Revealing an inclination for soundtrack experiments displayed in subsequent releases, most notably the unforgettable The Jesus & Mary Chain scored finale for Lost in Translation, the gleefully anachronistic double-album for the otherwise sleepy Marie Antoinette, and most recently the decision to have Phoenix score the soundtrack for upcoming Somewhere (another showbiz-centric tale drawn off her life), in all Sofia Coppola has shown a propensity to eschew convention with regards to creating the soundtracks for her movies, a trend first noticed in The Virgin Suicides. She commissioned Air to record the soundtrack for which the band ultimately created an album’s worth of songs, two of which show up on the official soundtrack. The rest of the songs on the album are plausible, unobtrusive, perhaps even obvious contemporary choices for the film’s 1970s setting. The clear standout at the time and to this day, one of Air’s contributions, the dreamy, horn-infused pop ballad “Playground Love,”  and embodied with the memorable music video featuring singing bubble gum edited into scenes from the movie, best exemplifies the experimental nature of the soundtrack. Embedding is disabled on the video but I recommend you click on through to check it out.

Each day we highlight a notable album or song that was released this week in years past.  Talkie Walkie by Air was released on February 17, 2004.

While you may argue that Moon Safari is a better record, give me Talkie Walkie any day.  The Versailles duo reached new heights with this collection of electronique pop, which featured “Cherry Blossom Girl,” “Run,” and the Lost in Translation holdover, “Alone in Kyoto.”  Also, since Air was at the very top of my iPod artist list for years, I’ve heard the opening bars to “Venus” more than any song ever.  I hate that song.  Air has since released Pocket Symphony in 2007 and Love 2 in 2009.  They are currently on a US tour, check out their website HERE.