The core duo of
Airpushers first gained notice as the heart of the
Black Eyed Peas' live band. Both are multi-instrumentalists, and
Printz Board is also that band's arranger and musical director and shares songwriting credits on several of their biggest hit singles. Working with Fergie and the boys is undoubtedly a financial pleasure, but playing "Let's Get It Started" night after night can only be creatively satisfying for so long before things just start getting weird. And get weird they do on the aptly titled
Themes for the Ordinarily Strange: these are not full-bore experimental freak-outs, but standard-issue dance-pop tunes that are twisted ever so slightly into new and interesting forms. With session singers like
Sy Smith and
MoZella taking the diva roles when called for,
Airpushers come across like a slightly askew version of
the Brand New Heavies, layering their songs with quirky beats and slightly off-center samples that never entirely obscure the obvious pop suss at the heart of the album. ~ Stewart Mason