Francis International Airport ‎– In The Woods CD

"Austria's Album of the Year"—that's what the record label's press release proclaims. Naturally, that begs for a critical review. On their debut album, "We Are Jealous, We Are Glass," Francis International Airport sounded a lot like bands such as Nada Surf, Death Cab For Cutie, and their electronic counterparts, The Postal Service. Since then, a lot has changed for the five guys from Vienna, who named themselves after the airport in the fictionalized version of New York City in the video game series "GTA.

" On their second album, "In The Woods," they aimed, among other things, to create a denser sound using all sorts of studio tricks. According to them, the latest albums by Beach House and Grizzly Bear served as inspiration. However, you don't necessarily hear that. "In The Woods" sounds like completely different bands—which is actually just the logical consequence of taking a band like Nada Surf and adding even more bombast and pomp. The result is something like Band of Horses meets Bloc Party meets Coldplay meets Stereophonics. So much for the basic outline.

The album is genuinely pleasant, though its only real flaw is that it might be a little too pleasant. Francis International Airport have chosen the right influences, but for the most part, they fall short. In the end, we have a somewhat unoriginal, but enjoyable indie pop album with plenty of energy. It's a bit of a shame that the singles "Monsters" and "Amnesiacs" are actually the album's best tracks. They are truly excellent, though. This might be enough for Austria's Album of the Year, but compared internationally, it simply lacks the rough edges that define its own unique sound.

Label: Siluh Records

Country: Austria

Media Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)