One of the most refreshing things about music is discovering a band that breaks through the normal boundaries that we naturally build up for ourselves. It's easy to get stuck in a rut, get sucked into a genre, or simply not pay attention to new things on the horizon. I love heavy music and I generally despise pop music. Wait...I guess I should clarify that: I hate what passes as pop music these days, i.e., what gets played ad nauseum on the radio. Most popular music currently panders to the lowest common denominator and thus, well, sucks. Unfortunately, what gets lost is the mix are the bands that play creative yet accessible music, pop rock that's the spiritual descendent of classic groups like the Beach Boys or the Mamas and the Papas.

Which brings us Air Review. Under regular circumstances, a band like this would fly by my radar, by virtue of the style of their music. Their airy, indie-tinged pop rock isn't something that I would normally listen to. But now that I have, I'm really glad that I've heard them. This is some of the best pop music I've heard in a long time. It's catchy without being cloying, enjoyable without being annoying. The soaring vocals, the gentle tones and multi-layered instrumentation gives their songs real depth. If there's anything negative to be found, it's that some of the tracks bleed together from time to time. At only nine tracks, it's also on the short side. But it flows well from start to finish and it's a fun listening experience. 

I have no idea where these guys are going from here, but if there's any justice in the world, they'll be huge by the time 2013 is over. I wouldn't be surprised to start hearing their music everywhere. Here's hoping that they'll continue to make good pop rock for years to come.