It doesn't take a genius to decipher that Air Traffic's debut album sounds like an untidy concoction of Keane, Queen, Coldplay and The Feeling, nor does it take a genius to dismissively list off those (or any other) bands; however, it does take an optimist to unearth how a composite of the above-mentioned could be in any way beneficial to music. The young Bournemouth quartet, named for the airport near to where they used to rehearse, have only been together a couple of years - but with their first limited edition single selling out within days of its release, not to mention accolades from Steve Lamacq and err.. Vernon Kay, amongst others - they're primed to fill the market gap that Keane have slipped out of and Coldplay have temporarily vacated. Still reading? Wow, you are brave. Fractured Life draws from the former's jaunty, piano-led indie and the latter's morose, pretentiously-intense ballads, adds a touch of Mika-esque pomp and Feeling-style MOR, cooks them all up and spews out a resultant lumpy mash of fractured muzak. Harsh as all that may sound, it's not all bad. Though a good 90% of tracks are either 'heartfelt' piano-centric ballads (Empty Space, Your Fractured Life) or airy, uptempo guitar-led 'anthems' that sound like The Kooks covering Coldplay (Times Go By, I Like That), there are also some unexpectedly enjoyable moments, such as the heavy-in-comparison Weezer-esque fuzz of Get In Line, or the supremely cheesy and horrifyingly catchy burst of piano-pop joy, Never Even Told Me Her Name. Even the hidden track, Pee Wee Martini, is a wistfully atmospheric instrumental that shimmers and surprises in equal measures. If you like your indie ambitious-sounding yet radio-friendly, Air Traffic will be right up your runway; but if the thought of Chris Martin-on-Skittles overdose is repellent, Fractured Life is probably far too plane for your liking.