Air France - Gothenburg Belongs To Me

Over the past few years, Sweden’s Air France have managed to mould themselves quite a reputation. Their Balearic inspired sound is so much more than the sum of it’s parts at times, as the electro beats and distant vocals are sometimes so achingly beautiful it’s hard to do anything other than appreciate. Which is why the band’s latest download single ‘Gothenburg Belongs To Me’ feels so strange in comparison

The concept is an admirable one – linked in with the website https://www.gbgbelongstous.se, the song forms the core of the bands ‘three part love letter’ to their hometown. It certainly shows their love for the place, if nothing else. The songs itself, however, lacks a lot of the subtlety of their earlier recordings, coming on loud and brash, like something left over from a best of the ‘Hacienda’ CD. It’s startling, and takes away somewhat from the band’s trademark whispered female vocals.

The synth and maracas stay throughout, but the song doesn’t really recover and the result is something that lies awkwardly somewhere in the middle of an attempted dancefloor classic and a resonant ode to a beautiful city. If anything, it can be taken as a positive that the band willing to try out a slightly different direction. Let’s just hope that it pays off on their next record.