M83 - Saturdays = Youth

French indietronica artist M83, that originally was a duo, but was reduced to one-man project of Anthony Gonzalez in 2005, flirts with synth pop and new-wave influences on the fourth album Saturdays = Youth. Compared to early records that focused on instrumental textures and melodramatic atmosphere, Saturdays is more song-oriented. The album even features input from a female vocalist with a voice very much akin to Kate Bush. In terms of mood and music the album is filled with nostalgia as it's a throwback to the artist's youth that he remembers brightly. The album is well realized, as M83 has managed to adopt the trademark 80s synth and drum sounds into his own style without sounding banal or tasteless. Gonzalez has aimed at more focused songwriting and sometimes the results yield a few melodic gems (like "Up"). Gonzales however does have room for development in terms of conventional songwriting. He's still impeccable at establishing the mood and atmosphere, as proved by the standout track "Couleurs".

*This review was published in Estonian in a journal called Postimees. This is the English translation