As the title suggests, the album has an overall ethereal quality, drifting from song to song and connecting the wide range of styles with a constant, distant echoing effect that carries over from track to track. This sense of flow gives Anthony Gonzalez's vision a cinematic drama, helping the listener experience the album like a narrative. It picks up right from the beginning, with an intro that slowly builds up to the standout track, "Midnight CIty." From that single's catchy, electronic sound, the album jumps off, incorporating '80s-inspired rock songs like "Reunion," slower, acoustic melodies on "Wait" and plenty of ambient tracks that draw inspiration from Brian Eno.
This release finds M83 abandoning the conventional instrumentation of guitars and instead putting a heavy focus on synths. While Gonzalez continues to distort the vocals with lots of reverb, the echoing of the voices becomes an integral part of the melodies. Overall, the eclectic combination of '80s synth-pop, ambience and modern electronic sounds makes for a multi-faceted album that will convert many new listeners into M83 fans.
On the KDHX Charts: #1 on Electronic and #8 on CMJ for November 22, 2011.
This album can be heard on: Hindsight, Coin-Operated Radio and Juxtaposition.
Midnight City by M83
