By: Carlos Sucre-Parra/Columnist
Photo courtesy of facebook.com/m83music
Synthesizers, as musical instruments, are double-edged swords. On one hand, they may serve as a key ingredient in a much-needed musical flourish, creating vast landscapes of sound and an overwhelming sense of euphoria; in other cases, they may remind us of bad hair bands, the 1980s and why such music no longer dominates the mind share of the general public.
Fortunately, for Anthony Gonzalez, the main creative force behind M83, the bet paid off – big time. “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” aims to create an epic album in the full sense of the word.
While this new record may seem a bit distant from its previous release, “Saturday=Youth,” “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” is as dreamlike, if not more so, than its predecessors; Gonzalez generates a sense of grandeur around the melodies that screams to be witnessed live.
From its intro track, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” tries to create a trance-like sense of emotional connection with the music, not unlike an orchestra conductor. The juxtaposition of guitar riffs, melodically strong background vocals, altering drum patterns and synths (mountain over mountains of synths), demand the listener to get up and dance. While this is all great in itself, it is not an entirely ground-breaking combination on its own.
When M83 is able to capture those moments well, it creates a world all their own, yet, there are tracks that hint at the influences in Gonzalez’s music.
The fifth track in the first CD, “Wait,” attempts to resonate at a very vulnerable, bare emotional nerve with the simple guitar strums in the background, the eventual string arrangement kicking in and the raw vocals ; all cry for the listeners to wave their lit lighters in the air (or their app of a lighter on their smartphones). Ultimately, it is a very dated song in its approach and end result.
Yet, this is the ultimate charming quality M83 possesses – its earnest effort, its appeal to emotion, positive or otherwise, is what makes them an endearing band.
Bursts of excitement in tracks such as “This Bright Flash” or the sugary use of a little girl’s storytelling as backbone of a Sigur Rós, like “Raconte-Moi Une Historie,” maintain that same naiveté that makes the band attractive in the first place, pushing toward a certain feeling of eternal innocence, one where it is ok to wear your heart on your sleeve and be truthful to oneself and others.
The second CD has noticeably more somber tracks than the first CD.
The starting track, “My Tears Are Becoming a Sea,” generates a sense of isolation and helplessness through its combination of simple instrumentation and vocals. The track eventually leads to a great flourish, in similar fashion to Band of Horses’ “Is There a Ghost.” While this is not a cardinal sin for songwriters, it establishes how deeply aware Gonzalez is of the effect of each single sound present in a composition.
Much like a movie soundtrack or the orchestra conductor, the effort presented is there to draw a reaction and M83 is very successful in this endeavor, which allows it to become a great album and a not so bad attempt at creating nostalgia for the 1980s.
DJ Charlie P’s show Un Solo Pueblo is every Sunday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Radiate FM.
About Post Author
