Air

Air’s Talkie Walkie will grab the corners of your mouth and stretch it back toward both your ears. While the band’s first album in two years doesn’t delve into the Minimoog the way its well-known predecessor, Moon Safari, does, this latest from the French duo, Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicholas Godin, relies on its share of synthesizers and pretty melodies to hypnotize and energize all who partake. Already boasting a couple of singles gaining satellite airplay (“Cherry Blossom Girl” and “Surfing on a Rocket”) and soundtracking a Heineken commercial (“Alpha Beta Gaga”—arguably the happiest Air tune of all time), this album plumbs the digital depths, aided by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. And, if you act now, you’ll get the limited-edition bonus DVD featuring 35 minutes of brilliantly edited psychedelic concert footage and interview bits taken from some massive European festivals in 2002—no hallucinogens necessary.