M83 – Reunion Single Review

M83’s move towards pop structures has been well-documented; French native and brains behind the operation, Anthony Gonzalez, has been quick to draw attention to his love of 80s’ music while alsociting TheSmashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as an important reference point. Combine these influences with the effect of recent tours with Depeche Mode, The Killers and Kings of Leon, and last year’s ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’ seems like a fitting culmination of Gonzalez’s musical trajectory thus far; it’s huge, infectious and weaved with the sort of drama suited to being viewed on huge platforms.

The second single to be released from Hurry Up, ‘Reunion’ is undeniably one of M83’s most sonically expansive works, the problem however may be that it’s a little too dense. With ‘Reunion,’ Gonzalez eschews subtlety; everything is big, widescreen, and one gets the feeling that such an effort has been made to expand the track’s sonic dimensions that it almost finds itself falling flat emotionally. A tad too concerned with pandering to hooks, ‘Reunion’ feels gimmicky in its 80s’ pop influence; its chants of fist-pumping macho-bravado sounding pre-designed for their next notable support slot. It ultimately finds itself lacking the moments of microcosmic beauty that made much of M83’s earlier output so wonderful.

Perhaps Gonzalez was right when he chose an album title beginning with the phrase “hurry up,” particularly when it comes to ‘Reunion,’ it all feels a little rushed, all too keen to offer a quick fix rather than take a good, long look at itself to assess its own worth.

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