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M83: Saturdays = Youth

11th April 2008 | by Aidan Williamson

"Have A Nice Apocalypse" went the tagline to the film Southland Tales. Whilst thematically, that and "Saturdays = Youth" have little in common, they do share a universe.

Both seem to be set in an alternate world where the second cold war heated up and drove the 1980's into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, yet all the time with a smile on their faces.

Whilst M83's 2005 album "Before the Dawn Heals Us..." is perhaps the most lauded of the band's career, "Saturdays = Youth" by no means seeks to emulate it. Throwing off most of the dynamic thrust that populated the previous album, this time around M83's Anthony Gonzalez promises a "more focused approach to song structure and form." What this actually means is that most of the songs are of more conventional length, and there's much less in the way of variety throughout the album.

Whereas "Dawn..." took bold risks with tracks such as "Car Chase Terror", all on show here has the emphasis squarely on mid-tempo swirling vacuums of stargazing beauty. All well and good, but you do tend to get neck-ache on occasion.

"Graveyard Girl" sounds like a full-on throwback to My Bloody Valentine and Lush era shoegaze, best characterised as a minor earthquake in a chandelier shop. Centrepiece "Couleurs" meanwhile, goes for pulsing dance beats, pure 80's bass synthesisers. In fact, it's very much in danger of becoming a Black Box song, that is until layer after layer of sumptuous melodies are piled under. Rather than descending the song into cacophony, every single one of the myriads of melodies are discernible from the mix, a testament to the stellar production working for the band this time around.

M83 have never been an immediate band though, like a fine wine their albums improve over time. In this regard, "Saturdays = Youth" certainly rewards, it may take months to gain the full import of what is on offer here. It all depends on what your tastes require. Pop'll always be there on the shelf opposite, staying pretty much the same, although growing increasingly unappealing as the years pass by, whereas the Le Château de M83 will be looking ever more tempting as the calendars are hung and then removed.

Rating:  7 / 10