Air Waves’ fighting spirit shines on Warrior

It doesn’t take long to notice one glaring difference between Warrior and Air Waves’ first two albums: that constant churn of fuzzy guitar strumming is absent. A cornerstone of the earlier sound, there’s now an ever-present plucked guitar in its place, used to great effectiveness by Schneit. When she’s cruising through “stormy nights in LA” with her pals in “Tangerine”, or love’s making her “feel okay” for a rare moment, as it does in “Pieces”, it’s a lively breezy pulse, one filled with a buoyant optimism; the kind only camaraderie and love can give you.

Other times, the plucked guitar turns into something very different; a dreamy extension of Schneit’s palpable mix of melancholy, longing and nostalgia, like on album bookends “Home” and “Blue Fire”.

And that Kevin Morby assisted title-track. It’s a standout, with its ‘80s synths, barrage of brass, and jagged guitar melodies. Throw in rousing calls like “saddle up on your horse, get ready to go” and it’s the most urgent Schneit has ever sounded. Oh, and that propulsive guitar churn makes a rare appearance too, just to sweeten the deal.

Warrior. It’s a fitting name for Schneit’s latest project as Air Waves. She’s taken a brave step forward as a songwriter, and in doing so she sounds more determined, more courageous, and ready – staunchly so – to “hold on to coming dreams”.