There is something commendable about just plain going for it, balls-to-the-wall, with no regard for outside perception. It’s also one of the most frightening things to do for most people, but not for Anthony Gonzalez and the rest of M83.
On Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, M83 reach for a grandiosity that is rarely seen, and is often scoffed at when attempted. Being a “double album” already puts it in a category that garners smirks and skepticism. Throw in a loose concept of revering childhood innocence; dreams versus reality. It is rife with crescendos, climaxes, strings, 80’s electronic drums, synths galore, breathy vocals, spoken word bridges, and some of the catchiest hooks in recent memory. Oh, and of course several instrumental interludes.
If an effort like this were undertaken with even the slightest reservation, it would fall flat from the get-go. But fortunately for the listener, Gonzalez and co. exhibit unbridled joy and brash exuberance on every note - making it all work.
The record begins with possibly the best opening two songs of 2011 in “Intro (f/Zola Jesus)” and “Midnight City”. It becomes clear that Gonzalez is going all-out very quickly, incorporating a whispered intro-within-“Intro” which sets the tone for the loose concept of dreaming which comes through at various points in the record. The chorus synth line from “Midnight City” is of the ilk that gets lodged in your head for days and you’re extremely happy about it.
As with almost all double albums, some would say that Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming would benefit from being scaled back to one disc, throwing out the dreamy symphonic interludes and focusing solely on pop masterpieces like “Claudia Lewis”, “New Map”, “OK Pal”, and “Steve McQueen”. Along with the tandem that opens the record these are my favorite tracks, but the beauty of M83’s ambition is in the ebb and flow of the album as a whole. Scaling it back would do these standouts an injustice.
As far as the concept of dreaming, it is scattered throughout the record, embedded both in Gonzalez’s lyrics as well as in almost every melody. As a child, you are constantly dreaming; the discovery of imagination, the furious exhilaration of learning, the realization that a refrigerator’s box can be transformed into a spaceship. As an adult, dreams become something entirely different. They are either “oh my god I had the weirdest dream last night” or unrealistic fantasies that you will never accomplish because real life is destined to get in the way.
But over a sprawling, epic, and truly joyful 72 minutes, M83 transports the listener back to a childhood where all of your dreams were scattered across the carpet, able to be picked up and played with, without a wisp of uncertainty.
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