Aeroplane Can't Fly

Aeroplane's We Can't Fly isn't quite the soaring epic dance record I was hoping for, but it is a pretty decent one, none the less. Focusing on more downtempo tunes that all out bangers, Aeroplane literally define the words slow motion disco. In love with Moroder's slower more seductive productions, and an apparent inability to hurry, We Can't Fly sounds like the perfect pastel colored chilled out album you've always hoped for but never were able to find.

We Can't Fly is a sexy sunny romp through a variety of stops including dub influenced pop, godly guitar solos, chilled vocal house, and downtempo grooves. It's the kind of record that's all over the place while somehow maintaining a sense of cohesion. I have to admit that it took me a while to get into the futuristic soundscapes that Aeroplane create throughout this record but through persistence it won me over. The record is nice enough, but it just wasn't anything jaw droppingly fantastic or instantaneously accessible. It wasn't until repeated listens that the record revealed itself to be half-way decent. Once you come to grips with the fact that this record is slow motion disco you begin to realize that the many facets that We Can't Fly presents are rather tolerable.

If we divided the record into two halves, I would have to say the more instrumental first half is by far the best of the two. The second half takes a decidedly more vocal approach and quite honestly doesn't live up to the hype. The first vocal track, "I Don't Feel," sounds like a Journey outtake from somewhere around their Frontiers album and that's strange because I believe the vocals are female. Anyway, when Aeroplane go instrumental they are clearly at their best and my guess is that if this record was all instrumental it would have probably been better. Despite several set backs, there are some decent vocal moments. "Without Lies," is a perfect subdued, bleepy, slice of synth pop that's just dying to be remixed and easily the highlight of the whole album. Other than that the pickings are slim.

I still want to like this record more than I do, but I just can't find a reason. At times perfectly chilled at others relatively warm, We Can't Fly, is a nice amalgamation of influences that work well together but are one step away from truly being epic. I liked what Aeroplane have done here, but amongst a sea of a zillion other electronic artists they're just not doing anything that's jaw droppingly brilliant now matter how different they want to be.