Air - Once Upon A Time
I've often thought how weird it is that; English-speaking countries aside, foreign acts find it so difficult to crack the UK charts. You could blame it on racism, xenophobia or even a lack of cultural understanding but it's a puzzling state of arrairs when the fact is that some English acts could spend a lifetime trying to be cool and sexy without any hope of succeeding (Justin Hawkins, I'm talking to you) whereas when other nationalities start singing in English, the resulting frisson of gorgeousness is more often than not sex on legs.
Succeeding where the likes of DJ Otzi have failed, French legends Air have been wooing the UK with their Gallic brand of musical loveliness since the downright smutty Sexy Boy in 1998 and return this year to seduce us with fourth album Pocket Symphony. Turn down the lights, pour a glass of wine and prepare to be taken advantage of.
First single 'Once Upon A Time' is an innocently sexy slice of fairytale rambling. Jean-Benoit's stylish, breathy vocals layer over trippy repetitive piano chords and twinkly bells, gradually building like waves in the ocean. Let's face it, the French do musical sex like no-one else and this will have you crying oui oui and begging for more.