M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming! [Album Review]

M83

The resurgence of the synth-pop movement might just be encapsulated by M83's sixth album, Hurry Up We're Dreaming!, in twenty-two songs split evenly across two discs. The epic "Intro" song gives the listener direct cues for what's in store. Tantalizing and ever-evolving, it leads to "Midnight City", which serves as the first single off the album. With a catchy, squeaky hook, the song continues the journey with an immediate dance loop. A remixes EP of the song is already available, and you can listen to all the iterations here.

Aptly named, the album certainly plays off the dreaming imagery, continuing in the strains of previous albums but with more at stake. Led by French musician Anthony Gonzalez, M83 has added new instruments to the arsenal for Hurry Up, including acoustic guitar. This injects a down to earth feel into songs such as "Soon, My Friend", the last on the first disc. Interspersing spoken word into quieter moments, the sixth track "Raconte-Moi Une Histoire" (translated to "Story Teller", or literally "Tells Me A Story") embodies this with a tale told by a young girl about a magic frog changing your world - "blue becomes red and red becomes blue... everything looks like a giant cupcake and you can't stop laughing" - about which you can make your own, possibly drug-related conclusions.

The next track, "Train To Pluton", starts with appropriate soothing sound effects, then blends with moving notes and atmospheric crescendo notes in a short 1:15 time span. This linking of songs through intermediate tracks is commonplace on Hurry Up and serves the greater purpose of creating a holistic experience throughout the varying dynamics of each individual piece.

The second disc opens on an even more grandiose scale with "My Tears are Becoming a Sea," building tension and leading into the driving, upbeat track "New Map". Taking it down a couple notches for "Splendor", extended piano chords mix with acoustic guitar and a chorus of voices for a gorgeous blend of tonalities. Ending it all with "Outro" brings symmetrical closure to almost eighty minutes of music from M83. A breathing low tone mutates into a swaying ode that finally morphs into simple piano notes tied up with a perfect final chord.

The official release date for Hurry Up We're Dreaming is October 18, 2011, so mark your calendar - fans of all kinds, from old M83 believers to new synth converts, will certainly want this expansive double disk album to join their collections. M83 performs at Fun Fun Fun Fest this November, so you'll have plenty of time to absorb the songs on record before experiencing them live.

M83: [official]