Air Traffic Controller - “20”
Air Traffic Controller have served up a slice of pure genius with “20.”
The song, "20," is about a guy reflecting on his views of the world and of life when he was "20," and it is full of thoughtful and humorously beautiful lyrics. The music never stops being groovy and enticing. You are bound to find your head bopping to the groove that the bass and drums have created. The lead guitar, when it is present, glides through the song like a plan through the sky, but only peppered on the odd part. On the whole, the song is a total earworm, with horn noises and lovely piano chords that punctuate the beats as the music softly pulsates.
Additional instruments are introduced as the song continues. A little acoustic guitar segment that serves as a great fill is brought back into the mix after it has had its moment to shine, enhancing the rhythm. The music is masterfully given personality by the odd synth pad and, from 2:45 on, the highly original transition is golden. I enjoy how the song builds and then comes back to the chorus with a tambourine, which serves itself very well as the cherry on top of this musical sundae– it is the crucial piece of the rhythm that we were unaware was lacking. The song, in its entirety, is flawless and I wouldn't change a thing.
The band’s LP, Dash, is set to release on November 11. You can find more details about that here.