Five Star: A look at albums
that are so good that they impress even the most cynical of critics. Very
few albums are superior enough to obtain a five star rating but occasionally
a band slips through the river of mediocrity that is the modern music industry
and they produce an album that restores our faith in the future of rock!
This series is a look at such albums.
Where do you start when trying to describe
a band that gets their name from a faint, remote galaxy? How about eccentric,
innovative, breathtaking, and awe-inspiring for starters? This French duo
has certainly made quite an impressive career of their young selves with
the release of their self-titled first album, their monstrous second effort,
Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, and now, with Before The Dawn
Heals Us, which, after at least ten straight listens from glorious beginning
to exhausting end, Ive come to the conclusion that this is as flawless
as any album deserves to be.
M83 have been compared to just about everybody
who is somebody, from Mogwai and Air, to My Bloody Valentine and Four Tet.
However, they have a style and sound all their own which no one can pin
down, meandering through several genres including electronic, indie pop,
and pure rock. Take for example, the sweeping, majestic ten-and-a-half
minute mini-epic Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun. This haunting
melodic masterpiece encapsulates everything that M83 is: extravagant, grandiose,
and sincere. Then mix with that the harsh, distorted, guitar driven behemoth
that is, simply, Asterick, with its eerie synth-laden background that
grabs your jugular and squeezes until you can barely breathe the word uncle,
and then comes to an unexpected, smoke-filled, grinding halt. Or how about
Slight Night Shiver, where a mother and daughter are seemingly chased
by a figure of some kind through fury-filled emotion and squealing tires,
only to come to rest in a serene, placid bed of beautiful, melody-driven
synth, with the sound of cars driving by on a highway.
To be truthful, Im not expecting to hear
better electronic music this year. M83 has crafted and honed their sound
into something so pure and delicate, that they actually sound light-years
(no pun intended) ahead of their time. Listening to this album is akin
to breathing fresh mountain air. The more you breathe, the clearer life
seems to become. In the words of a famous cliché, if you only buy
one electronic record this year (and thats incredibly asinine), it needs
to be this one.
M83 is currently making a handful of stops
in the U.S. through April, including the famous Woodstock-like Coachella
Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA. Dont miss out!
More Info
M83 -
Until The Dawn Heals Us
Rating:
Track Listing:
Moonchild Don't Save Us From The Flames In The Cold I'm Standing Farewell/Goodbye Fields, shorelines and hunters * I Guess I'm Floating Teen Angst Can't Stop Safe Let Men Burn Stars Car Chase Terror! Slight Night Shiver Guitar And A Heart, A Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The
Sun
Posted by North:
The most stunningly put together record of the year without a doubt. Utter sincerity, emotion, passion and beauty rolled all into one incredible musical package. Do yourself a favour and check it out.
