4 out of 5

Label: EMI

Produced by: David Kosten

Yes, all of the name-checking that could possibly occur regarding Air Traffic are pretty true: Coldplay, Keane, Strokes, OK Go…  Pretty much any group that dabbled in piano-pop or throwback rock and appeared in Spin magazine during the early 00s will come to mind at some point during ‘Fractured Life.’  And I like some of those bands, and I don’t like some of those bands.  But I really like Air Traffic.  Because in sifting through all of those influences or comparisons – which, according to the Allmusic blurb on lead Chris Wall, is something that came about honestly as opposed to trying to sound like any given thing – the band navigates a path that hits all of the highs of catchy hooks and meaty choruses and surprising detours into distortion without bringing in much filler or, more importantly, stylistic indulgences.  What results, then, is a very confident album that doesn’t misstep; there’s not a moment that feels like the group is trying for a mark they don’t hit, but the genre pool from which their elements are plucked is deep enough such that, even though the disc essentially plays it safe, there’s absolutely enough space for variation and expression.  Adding to this, though that same linked review might suggest Wall’s lyrical content to be a bit preachy or melodramatic, the songs to which it refers – Shooting Star, about the group’s media acceptance, and Empty Space, about a friend’s death in a car crash – are written openly and smartly enough that you’re not bashed over the head with POINT or significance, and yet there’s not a single lyric that makes you roll your eyes.  He’s a good writer, in other words, stringing together interesting concepts that will make you stop and listen on occasion without distracting from the toe-tapping, and his competency as a singer matches – able to hit the highs and lows effectively but not so polished or raw that it sticks out.  Producer Kosten’s part in the mix certainly helps these songs stay on that same cusp, letting the sounds breathe while firmly rooting us in the cleanliness that’ll be familiar to listeners of the genre.

Getting the gist yet?  On ‘Fractured Life,’ any given song has the potential to make you sway or bob your head, and certainly has that – ‘this sounds like’ quality.  But over the course of the album, it becomes clear that the group has come by their sound in a seemingly organic fashion, preventing the disc from being a throwaway in favor of other picks from the similar scene.  There might not be that standout moment, but for a debut disc from a young band, a full album of competent, quality smart pop is still a pretty grand accomplishment.