Teen Angst

Making really good music videos is a lost art these days. You'll be hard pressed to find an artist/record company that takes the time to capture so perfectly in video the true essence of a song. Long gone are the days of "Thriller" or a "Buddy Holly". And I'm not talking about spending big budgets per se. Fortunately, M83 (a.k.a Anthony Gonzalez) is here to save the day. As I mentioned a couple of months ago in my review of Saturdays = Youth, this record is a virtual homage to the 80's. Gonzalez really captures this spirit in the new video for the album's third single/best song, "Kim & Jessie". Here's the clip: M83 - Kim & Jessie


By the way, M83 plays Webster Hall November 14th. Tickets are still not sold out.

M83 = Nostalgia

If, according to M83, Saturdays equal youth, then apparently this year's follow-up to 2005's Before The Dawn Heals Us equals nostalgia. Because this is what we are given on what is arguably the year's most ambient record. Synth-heavy eletronica frequently meshes with Anthony Gonzalez's penchant for producing distorted guitar shoegaze on an album that is distinctively dedicated to the '80's. New Order, the Human League, and My Bloody Valentine are among the many influences that make their appearances on Saturdays=Youth, evoking a throwback soundtrack would fit perfectly in a prom scene during a John Hughes movie. The album's many ethereal mood changes underscore contrasting lyrical themes of angst, excitement, desperation, and hope -- the very feelings that go hand-in-hand with our favorite flicks of yesteryear. Album standouts "Kim & Jessie" and "Graveyard Girl" fit these sentiments to a tee and could easily be mistaken for cuts off Tears For Fears' 1985's album Song For The Big Chair. Which can be good and bad. The problem is that the album's consistency, although admirable, is pure novelty. And this, just like trips down memory lane are ephemeral.

My Rating: 6.5/10