M83
Junk

THE REVIEW

As I had predicted in the review of their previous album “Hurry Up We’re Dreaming,” which achieved worldwide success, M83 was on the brink of commercial selling out. And as this album, released in the spring of this (almost over) year, demonstrates, they have fully fallen into that abyss. Very little can be salvaged from this work that winks at the most lowbrow dance-pop, reminiscent of certain late-period Daft Punk, which leans more towards pop than disco. Despite this, some remnants of that fusion between synth and dream pop we were accustomed to in the previous two albums have survived the lure of cash: some tracks are well-crafted and packaged beautifully, although they rarely prove innovative. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the shoegaze inspiration: the group has now distanced itself from art and embarked on the path of craftsmanship.

“For The Kids” stands out, with an inspired Susanne Sundfor (the only song in which I can tolerate her, who has joined Anthony Gonzalez since the terrible “Oblivion” soundtrack): an elegant and stellar track where Sundfor's sinuous voice flows clearly over a keyboard carpet until the piece spirals into a metaphysical sax solo. A song with a romantic soul that goes:

“I don’t know when I’ll see you again But I know that my love will last for eternity
I’ll wait till the stars go dark for you to come back to me”