M83 - Junk

M83
Junk
2016
Spotify

Bass Bass Bass! That might be a better title for the first track of M83's new record Junk. Not the kind of drop the bass you are used to in EDM but a real bass guitar pounding away providing a deep funky groove for "Do It, Try It". Junk feels like a more personal record that M83 have done in awhile and it is not just another "Midnight City" rehash. The sound is firmly in the Nu-Disco camp but features shredding guitar solos, 80s infused Piano and synths along with a heavy dose of driving bass throughout. The music is much lighter here and doesn't have that nighttime vibe that "Midnight City" did. The sound is also quite a bit more smooth then previous releases. There are moments where you have to catch yourself and realize you might just be listening to soft rock. "Moon Crystal" is where it really sets in, what have I gotten myself into? This song is right out of an 80s sitcom theme, with out any knowledge that is what is going on. The album is a complete surprise but in the oddest way. The best way to describe "For The Kids" is to say you might hear this at 8 pm on "Love Songs on the Coast" a radio broadcast out of Los Angeles. It's jarring that this is what this album is and in one way it is cool that M83 takes the risk but the product is just so...odd. The most dancing you are doing to these couple of tracks would be a slow dance at an 80s prom, pigs blood not included. It is almost comical how light this album is, even though at times it does try to fill the room.

It really does feel wrong to call this record dated, because in a lot of ways it feels modern, but you cannot get away from the fact that this is ripped straight from the 80s, no doubt about it. It is derivative as something can get yet because M83 is so damn good at production you are almost willing to give it a pass. Almost. Nostalgia can only carry something so far, there has to be something else behind it pushing it forward in order for it to really work, and at times Junk works while other times it just does not. A bright spot in this "Wizard" which like you might assume features plenty of 80s video game sounds also has this really pretty underlying track. It's what you want when dealing with nostalgia, take the idea then riff don't imitate. The tracks without lyrics offer much more depth and a more interesting take on the record as a whole because they allow you to bring a little bit to them rather than just showing you a picture of something from the past. We know that M83 can do really great things and that He has the capacity for songs that are dynamic and interesting, Junk just doesn't happen to feature any of those songs. Even the collaboration with Beck, "Time Wind", feels hollow and empty. Avoid this one, there just is not enough here to spend your time digging in to it.

4.2 out of 10