Sound: M83 has an overwhelming wall of sound that washes over you with each song. Mostly consisting of layer after layer of synths, it's actually the guitars in the songs that make them standout. Most would shove this into the shoegaze/post-punk/downtempo genres, but it definitley encompasses more then that. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: There are actually very few lyrics throughout the record, which can be a disappointment if you are used to them. Most of the lyrics are found in brief samples (I.e on the opening track "Birds": "Sun is shining, Birds are singing, Flowers are growing, Flowers are learning and I am crying"). However whenever there are lyrics, they fit well with the atmosphere of the songs. The lack of them will also give you a greater appreciation for instrumental music. The singer himself is actually drowned in a fair amount of reverb (think 80s), when a vocoder/MS Sam isnt in use. But even if it isn't your thing, it doesn't occur enough times to be an annoyance. // 7
Impression: This album is actually unlike anything I've ever heard before. To this day I have struggled to find artists similar. Some that come close would be Lali Puna, Mum, and late-Radiohead. Standout songs include the singles "Run Into Flowers" and "America" (both of which have videos) and others including "Unrecorded", "In Church", "Noise", "0078h", and "Gone". My version came with bonus tracks including an acoustic version of the mainly keyboard tune "In Church" (which sounds VERY interesting), a live version of "Gone" (very cool, and bearable recording quality), and three new tracks including "God Of Thunder", "Tsubasa", and "Dead Cities.Red Seas.Lost Ghosts". I am currently in the process of getting another copy of this, because the main CD was broken by my friend in a parking lot when my CD player was accidentaly dropped. Luckily I still have the bonus tracks. Anywho, please do yourself a favor and get this. You just might like it. // 9
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