Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Artist: M83
Stars: 4/5

Anthony Gonzalez is still creating his personal soundtrack for a John Hughes movie with his sixth album, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. If he’s the master of anything, it’s making catchy chord progressions, reverbing his vocals and spilling his heart out through grandiose 1980s melodies, as demonstrated before on the critically-acclaimed Saturdays=Youth. With the new album, he’s continuing that dreamlike soundtrack, drawing the listener closer and closer to the dance floor of his hypothetical high school prom. Hate it or love it, that’s M83’s sound, and he’s very close to perfecting it.

Very few songs are memorable for their entirety on Hurry Up, but the ones that are, like “Midnight City” and “Steve McQueen,” will make you want to jump up, grab your date and head straight to that dance floor. With that said, this isn’t an album for singles. It’s an album for the sake of being an album. The listener is supposed to sit down and listen to the whole thing — all 74 minutes of it. That’s a lot to ask for, but the task is surprisingly easy.

Song lengths vary, and very few actually have lyrics, but the genius and magic behind Hurry Up is accredited to its sonic diversity and ability to still flow as an album.

From hauntingly familiar piano tracks to french story-line narratives over punchy synth samples and 808 drums, Hurry Up is a combination of Gonzalez’s best work.