A DAY AT THE BEACH

Norwegian band AIRBAG can trace their roots all the way back to the 1990's, but it was a decade later that the band solidified and started to release material. Initially with a couple of EPs, that are now deleted if I remember correctly, and then from 2009 and onward the band has been going from strength to strength with a succession of acclaimed studio albums. "A Day at the Beach" is the most recent of these, and was released through Norwergian label Karisma Records in 2020.

"A Day at the Beach" is a strong and solid production through and through. From my perspective there aren't any weaks congs at hand here, although for my taste in music I'd say that the opening cut 'Machines and Men' is a slight cut above the rest here. An album well worth spending time with if accessible, melancholic and delicate progressive rock is your thing, and those who enjoy the softer sides of later day Pink Floyd strikes me as something of a key audience for this album.

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Posted Thursday, June 25, 2020 | Review this album | Report (Review #2415275)

Airbag´s compositions are often long and energetic. A Day at the Beach, their fifth album, is no exception: without haste, time elapses accordingly to the songs´ constant melancholy that allows the listeners to enjoy a world of profound and aching new wave atmospheres.

Both the influences of Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree are present. There are some good examples of this in A Day at the Beach: the dynamic Machines and Men, a song that initiates the album with some alluring guitar riffs and synthesizers; the extremely somber Into the Unknown; the discouraged reverie about the daily life that is Sunset (in which the final guitar solo is nothing but a homage to David Gilmour); finally, the potent Megalomaniac, and ironic account of a megalomaniac shrouded by a sore guitar play.

The album finalizes with A Day at the Beach, divided into two parts. Both of them are short and instrumental. But even if they keep the same structure the rest of the album has, they are just not as good.

Yet being an easily recognizable group, the Norwegian band manages to not fall into repetition, something that A Day at the Beach is a proof of. This constitutes great merit because it means that the group has created its own style.

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Posted Monday, August 3, 2020 | Review this album | Report (Review #2434897)

Norwegian band Airbag are still very much based around Asle Tostrup (lead vocals, keyboards, programming) and Bj'rn Riis (guitars, keyboards, backing vocals), while drummer Henrik Fossum has been there since the second album, but there has been change in bassist with Anders Hovdan not involved in an Airbag album for the first time, and he has been replaced by guest Kristian Karl Hultgren. For some reason I have not heard any of Airbag's most recent albums, and in fact the last album I reviewed was the debut 'Identity' which was released all the way back in 2009, but here we have a band who have been carving out a reputation for solid and consistent albums, and the same is true of this one.

If ever an album was grower then it is this, as after the first two or three plays I really was not at all convinced as their modern take on Pink Floyd, soundscapes, Radiohead, Kraftwerk, recent Marillion et al just did not do it for me. I knew the guys were trying to build an emotional connection, with laid back music which often contained high separation of instruments and loads of space, but somehow it still just felt too clinical. But the more I played it, the more I started to fall into the world, and it all seemed to make sense. Once one gets past the rather disturbing cover photo of teddy bears having their heads buried in the sand, there is progressive crossover electronic art rock music which is cinematic and has real breadth. This is music which does really need to be listened to as otherwise it will fall into the background, but for those who are prepared to spend the time and effort they will get something out of this. The vocals are front and centre, but there are also long passages when the band play purely instrumentally, often veering into electronic and ambient territory. Personally, I would have liked to have heard more guitars, as the electronica is too much for my personal taste, but all in all this is an interesting album. But it does need time to drop into the brain.

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Posted Friday, September 25, 2020 | Review this album | Report (Review #2451064)

The darker the times, the more subtle the perception. For the first time in my life I write one review twice, but at different times. Perhaps this review of the latest release to date by one of the greatest rock bands of our time will serve to write a number of articles devoted to their previ ... (read more)

Report this review (#2651901) | Posted by Devolvator | Monday, December 13, 2021 | Review Permanlink

My Highlights: - Machines and men - Into the unknown - Sunsets - Megalomaniac With a powerful and epic opening track in Machines and men the Norwegian melancholic prog masters open their fifth (and latest for now) studio album. Like in every album that precedes Riis amazing guitar work is t ... (read more)

Report this review (#2594291) | Posted by ElChanclas | Monday, September 13, 2021 | Review Permanlink

One thing I've got to say about Airbag is they are very consistent in their sound. Airbag is a great band from Norway. The band consists of Asle Tostrup on lead vocals keyboards and programming. Bjørn Riis on guitars keyboards and backing vocals and rounding out the group on drums is Henrik Fos ... (read more)

Report this review (#2448712) | Posted by thesimilitudeofprog | Friday, September 18, 2020 | Review Permanlink

This could be the break through collection of songs that takes Airbag over the top. I have been following their work for awhile and have enjoyed all of their releases, but always felt that they fell just a bit short of greatness for one reason or another. Every album has had great tracks, and th ... (read more)

Report this review (#2419768) | Posted by SilverLight59 | Tuesday, July 14, 2020 | Review Permanlink

I didn't know this band before but I kept seeing the name these last days. As soon as I decided to search them on Spotify I was kind of amazed by their music. Airbag don't struggle to write music, it feels that it just comes naturally. The album flows like a river, naturally.Unlike other b ... (read more)

Report this review (#2416508) | Posted by Pastor of puppets | Tuesday, June 30, 2020 | Review Permanlink

I didn't know this group of young people from Norway and know I am into the secret: They are good. Clearly They have been playing together for a time, the sound is cohesive and vibrant. There's a ton to like here: "Machines and Men" is a great opener song with a solid bass line and a fantastic j ... (read more)

Report this review (#2415993) | Posted by steelyhead | Sunday, June 28, 2020 | Review Permanlink

Amazing! This is really a pretty good and pleasant record. Fully loaded with great melodies, nices atmospheres and impressing guitar playing by Bjorn. Machines and Men is really an incredible openning and the electronics effects fits very well, also the bass is very exciting here. Sunsets is th ... (read more)

Report this review (#2414500) | Posted by pepezitos | Saturday, June 20, 2020 | Review Permanlink

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