Music Review: Air Supply – Mumbo Jumbo

Guitarist/vocalist Graham Russell and lead singer Russell Hitchcock met about 35 years ago and Air Supply, with a rotating cast of other musicians, has been producing its brand of light pop/rock ever since.

Many people remember them from a series of well-crafted albums and singles issued during the 1980s. Songs such as “Lost In Love,” “All Out Of Love,” “Every Woman In The World,” “The One That You Love,” “Here I Am,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Even The Nights Are Better,” and “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” were all radio staples and top five single hits. When you add in tens of millions of albums sold, Air Supply reigned as one of the kings of lightweight eighties rock.

The hits may have stopped, but Air Supply continues to release their brand of music and tour constantly. Mumbo Jumbo is their first studio release in a number of years and it finds them in fine form.

At this point they are who they are, and wisely they don’t make any dramatic changes to their sound. The songs are still well-crafted and their harmonies remain intact.

Ballads have always been their staple and tracks such as “Hold On,” “Why,” and “Until” continue this trend and will not disappoint their fan base. The surprise is the number of up-tempo pieces. “Dance With Me,” “A Little Bit Of Everything,” “Faith In Love,” and the title track are all nice additions to their catalogue as they explore areas they have not visited in years. “Me Like You” even comes perilously close to rock.

As with all of their albums, it is well produced and the sound is crystal clear. Graham Russell’s songwriting ability remains intact as he wrote or co-wrote all fourteen tracts. Their voices may not be as strong as during their classic period but they remain fine instruments.

Mumbo Jumbo will appeal to their generation of fans and is for anyone who is inclined toward the softer side of popular music.