Over the years, Albert Hammond’s ‘The Air That I Breathe’ has been recorded by numerous artists. The Hollies’ recording from 1974 remains its most famous incarnation, but dig through the archives and you’ll discover other notable versions from Dana Gillespie, Judy Collins, AOR band Alien, Olivia Newton-John, Swedish pop band The Tuesday Girls (latterly The Tuesdays), and even Hank Williams, Jr. It seems to be one of those tracks that never really goes away, but few have breathed as much new life into this well worn number than pop-prog collective Chimpan A.
From the outset, it’s clear their cover will be a little different when a world of busy synths advertise a proggy slant and a heavily filtered vocal lends an otherworldly edge. Moving into the body of the verse, a familiar melody emerges, and the smooth voice taps into a soaring sound, but the signature Chimpan A “pop-prog” sound continues to take centre stage. The mix of organic instrumentation and programmed beats is as effective here as on earlier Chimps’ material and really shows the strength in their crossover approach, even on someone else’s composition, but it’s from the mid point on that this cover really reaches its full potential. A blend of male/female harmonies makes an already big melody sound even bigger, and a relatively simple yet solid bassline provides a great melodic anchor. The track’s coda slips from the pop-rock heart into something even more soulful when a huge counter vocal brings a gospel tinged focus, and naturally, it’s here that the band’s expected cinematic approach to melodic rock really springs into life. By the time these four minutes are up, something that initially sounded good has grown into something great. The changes made here make this cover feel very much like something drawn from the Chimpan A universe, but lovers of the song in any or all of its previous forms will still find plenty to enjoy.
On the flipside, ‘Karl’s Song’ will be rather more divisive – in terms of accessible melodies, it’s actually one of the band’s slightest arrangements to date. Huge trip hop beats dominate throughout; a world of synths whip up an orchestrated heartand neither the musical or lyrical hooks present themselves with any real immediacy. That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable; there’s a grandiosity here that’s certainly impressive, and over time, the melody begins to sound a little more obvious. The stately rhythm and strings, in places, appears to take influence from Bond themes, whilst Guy Pratt’s bass leans into an influence of a very different kind, dropping heavy dub sounds against the rock-pop backdrop. Topped with a huge vocal, this certainly aims to be massive, but it never feels like much more than a slow burner. It’s likely to win over an audience in time, but it’s a huge musical step away from the pop-centric ‘Saviour’, or the band’s much earlier ‘Stars’.
With two very different sounding tracks, this short release, again, manages to be a fairly big musical showcase for Chimpan A. As before, Robert Reed and his assorted friends understand that there’s far more to progressive influenced works than extended arrangements and self indulgent soloing, and by coupling something from their 2025 long player with an exclusive cover, this offers something for both the Chimpan A fan and casual listener. The band’s earlier cover of Peter Gabriel’s ‘Here Comes The Flood’ pips this in terms of all round greatness, but this is still definitely a recommended listen.
August 2025