M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Part 3)

It’s André’s turn and he barely finished being introduced to Saturdays=Youth before getting walloped over the head with Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Consider André walloped. Also, “hit shuffle, bitches.” His words, not mine.

M83 – “We Own the Sky” (from Saturdays=Youth because what else am I going to put here? There’s nothing other than “Midnight City” available yet from the new album!)

You can download “Midnight City” in MP3 form, and check out tour dates, at ilovem83.com.

From: André Salas
To: Chris Atto, Brandon Hall

Insert my best “hurt, on the verge of tears with quivering lips” Taylor Swift face here, guys.

Anyway, listening to the new M83 offering Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming while still under the thrall of the previous release, Saturdays = Youth was kind of like going back to the pantry for another plain strawberry Pop Tart and having an avalanche of the chocolate frosted variety rain down mercilessly on you instead.

It’s no mistake that I was finally inspired to write my unofficial sequel to Pretty In Pink (in which a now 30-something Duckie reunites with a now-divorced Andie in Park Slope
where she owns a clothing boutique) after hearing the twee indie-pop of Saturdays. There’s not a second of its scant run-time that doesn’t reference sources as varied as 80s synthpop, 4AD ethereal, shoegaze, dreampop and of course, John Hughes ready British alternative pop. It’s so perfect, so precious, that it’d be cloying were it not delivered with a very assured wink. But a little of this can go a long way, and that brings us to Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.

In a year where I was pretty much ready to celebrate the return of the 10 or so track album (Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Dum Dum Girls, The Raveonettes), it was a bit crushing to be served up a 70s style double album release, and a concept album at that! (I imagine there’s a limited 2 record vinyl gatefold edition out.) Is this the new Tusk, or a Sign O’ The Times? Or maybe, just maybe, another Welcome to The Pleasuredome? Granted, at 70 or so minutes it’s not exactly an unusual length for a CD/mp3 release
these days, but it still means filler. Lovely, tasty little bits of fat that probably should have been excised before serving. It also means songs that get lost in the mix — good songs. I mean who has 72 minutes of spare time to smoke out, listen to an album, clutch their plush vampire and stare at a Billy Idol poster? Not me, for sure, and the pity is that since by habit most of us start at the beginning of an album, most of us also pretty much peter out by 35 minutes in.

So while the brilliant, euphoric “Midnight City” gets all the attention its madcap electronics deserve, something like the ethereal, “Tangerine Dream”-evoking instrumental, “Fountains,” might not. Unless this is the point? Since Mr. Gonzalez makes a point of linking the two sides of this release as blood brothers or even twins, maybe you can skip one altogether? Pick a favorite? Start with B instead of A? Or maybe just do one a day?

So I’m sort of agreeing/disagreeing with you guys. The songs are there. The tenuous thematic link between the songs isn’t quite enough to hold it together as a solid concept album, though. I agree with Brandon that it’s better taken as just a platter of fantastic random songs to be enjoyed at will. Which all means: HIT SHUFFLE, BITCHES! It’s a different experience, and I think it serves the songs better in this case.

“We’re walking in the streets / Or what’s left of them / And I take your hand,”
André

Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is out 10/18 on Mute.

Pre-Order Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming: CD | Vinyl LP | Digital Download | iTunes