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I would like to say that Anneke van Giersbergen sounds rejuvenated, re-energized, or reinvigorated on Air, but that does not quite fit the album. She just sounds... better. On her disappointing last outing with The Gathering, Home, her melodies sounded forced and weren't especially memorable; this was somewhat hidden by The Gathering's expanding repertoire of atmospherics, but the album still fell flat. But with her first solo outing as Agua de Annique she has regained her musical and emotional inspiration and gives one of her best performances yet.

The reason rejuvenated, re-energized, and reinvigorated don't accurately describe her return to form is because the music of Agua de Annique is far from energetic or intense. With the exception of the propulsive "You Are Nice!", Air is soothing and relaxed music. Compared to The Gathering, it is quite minimally arranged. While Anneke makes use of horns, pianos, and violins to complement the standard guitar/bass/drums, the music is never really as dense or loud. In The Gathering her voice was surrounded by a layered wall-of-sound; on Air her voice dances above much quieter music. Guitars often go undistorted, the psychedelics and electronica are gone, and Anneke's vocals takes center stage throughout the album and she flourishes in this new setting, sounding both soothing and soulful.

Anneke at her best is always a joy to listen to, and this album is another example of that. It could be argued that Agua de Annique's would be written off as just another alt-pop type deal if it weren't for Anneke's association with The Gathering. Either way she sounds comfortable and succeeds at whatever she's doing here.

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Reviewer: Jeff Mcquiggan Added: December 13th 2007