M83 - Hurry Up...

Now that we're a mere 3 weeks out from the M83 "release" date I would like to provide a quick primer to the album, which is a bit long - and at times dull - to be consumed casually.  I listen to the whole album straight thru, but I also have an "I'm not stoned and don't have 90 minutes to kill" version, which I've starred those songs that made that list.  If that were the disc it would be much tighter, but hard to complain that he gave us more music considering the current LP climate.


1*. Intro w/ Zola Jesus - I really like Zola and I think this song adequately sets the tone for what you'll get in the album.  If you don't like this then I don't think it's going to get a whole lot better...
2*. Midnight City - ...except for this song.  This is a contender for song of the year and unfortunately placed some unachievable expectations on the album as a whole.  Nothing M83 had done before was like this - but then nothing on the rest of the album was like it either and that was ultimately disappointing.
3*. Reunion - I listen to this song, and recognize this song, and I think like it more than I should because of it's placement on the album after Midnight City.
4. Where the Boats Go - short, purely atmospheric.  Good for couch melting, bad for any other time.  
5*. Wait - This has been criticized as a Coldplay ripoff ("The Scientist" in particular, which if you're going to ripoff one of their songs is a good place to start) but I think it's pretty enjoyable.  
6. Raconte-Moi Une Histoire - it's very funny to be a frog.  But that kid gets pretty annoying pretty quickly.
7. Train to Pluton - filler.
8*. Claudia Lewis - one of the better tracks.  A little faster-paced than most of what surrounds it which this album probably needs more of.
9. This Bright Flash - high quality filler, but still filler.
10. When Will You Come Home - filler.
11. Soon My Friend - longer filler.
12. My Tears Are Becoming a Sea - would probably be useful for an epic movie score but otherwise boring.
13*. New Map - this is a great headphones walking around the city song, for whatever that's worth.
14*. OK Pal - one of the more radio ready songs.
15. Another Wave From You - more high quality filler.
16. Splendor - it's beautiful music I guess, but it never really goes anywhere.  Longer filler.
17. Year One, One UFO - not really feeling it.
18. Fountains - filler.
19*. Steve McQueen - probably my second favorite song off the album, I think it would play well live.
20. Echoes of Mine - some nice crashing filler.
21*. Klaus I Love You - this track is probably the most frustrating on the entire album.  Has almost a Risky Business train scene feel to it, and has the potential to be "Midnight City" level - and then stops.  I can only hope he makes an EP, which after a 22 track double album is probably unlikely, and turns this into an actual song. .
22. Outro - the leaked version is cut short but this is fine for the album as a whole but doesn't work independently.


Essentially he made an album for the 80s, when we didn't have iTunes, Spotify, and our attention spans were longer.  So I respect the ambition.  But it's pretty impractical.  It didn't quite hit as high as you'd hope - or as "Midnight City" led you to believe it might - but I think overall it's still pretty good.  Trimmed down to the 9 tracks I starred gives you the highlights and potential singles off the album while probably losing the overall feel he intended.
- Devo