There's
a song on Air's debut album called "You
Make It Easy." And it's true. Air do make it easy. Not just on the ear. You don't need to ponder any difficult questions about whether they're an electronic or an acoustic band because both elements co-exist democratically in Air's studio.
What
you can be sure of is the breathtaking instrumentation on tracks like "Kelly,
Watch The Stars" is all played as opposed to sampled. Because they are
both extremely talented musicians. You also won't need to resort to any
lazy comparisons with the rest of the French scene. Air are individualists.
They are totally out on their own. And if that isn't obvious by now, you
haven't been listening properly. 
Maybe
what should be examined is their incredible grasp of space and phrasing.
That pause before the end of "Les
Professionnels/Soldissimo," where you think it's all ended and then
in rolls the most simple and beautiful guitar break imaginable. 
The
debut album is full of poignant spaces. And suprises too. Uptempo kitschy
tracks like "Sexy
Boy" the first single, full of the sort of chic, pouting, gallic attitude
evident on "Cosmic
Bird" their collaboration with Jean-Jacques Perrey on SourceLab 3. Delicate
vocals from American singer Beth Hirsch. Strings that sweep you up by the
ankles and flying into the clouds (recorded at Abbey Road incidentally).
And a sense of the visual and fantastical and cinematic that makes total
sense when they talk about wanting to do film soundtracks in the future
for David Lynch and Wim Wenders.