By Ian Lockwood
Staff Writer
French synthpop band M83 returns after a five-year hiatus with a new album, “Junk,” which was released on April 8.
“Junk” does not stray far from M83’s signature, synth-based electronic music sound. The new album consists of different, unique instrumentation, slow and relaxing rhythms and some surprising features. Although there are areas that the album exceeds in, it is also very predictable compared to its past releases.
M83 is most famously known for its hit single, “Midnight City” from its last album, “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.” “Junk” is the band’s seventh studio album, and after “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” was released in 2011, the band went on hiatus due to the departure of keyboardist Morgan Kibby.
The addition of slow and relaxing instrumentals in the album is a pleasant surprise because the band’s music is usually rapid and chaotic, as evident in past albums like “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”. For example, the track “Tension” slowly builds up with a soft but intriguing synth progression and gradually adds a drum beat. The laid-back approach of songs like this presents a nice contrast to the fast progressions featured on tracks like “Moon Crystal.”
Additionally, although the band continuously uses the same synths throughout the album, they are elevated by the inclusion of different instruments such as violins and trumpets. On the tracks “Solitude” and “Sunday Night 1987,” the violins and trumpets are subtly added, allowing a unique component to bring a new positive aspect to the album. These instruments create creative synth sounds that are unlike the beats present on M83’s past albums.
Addtionally, the album’s tracklist is filled with interesting and surprising artist features, such as Beck, Susanne Sundfør and Mai Lan. Mai Lan is featured on four tracks, and her vocals are an enjoyable addition to those tracks because of her soft voice over the synths. Beck and Susanne Sundfør’s features on “Time Wind” and “For The Kids” compliment the instrumental and is a pleasant change of vocals.
A flaw throughout the album is that the vocal effect of reverb is hastily overused, leading to a repetitive aesthetic. The vocals of both the lead singer Anthony Gonzalez and the featured artists are consistently overprocessed with effects, causing the sounds to become monotonous and dull. Mai Lan’s vocals on the track “Lazer Gun” become unpleasant quickly due to the way that they are mixed, blending poorly with the production of the song.
M83’s return from hiatus, “Junk,” is a somewhat dull and predictable experience due to lack of experimentation, although the different instrumentation and slow relaxing ballads lead to an enjoyable listening experience.
M83’s “Junk” is available for digital download for $10.99 on iTunes.
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