M83 - Saturdays = Youth

“”Saturdays = Youth” is a celebration of just that: the feelings of confusion, angst and lust tied to one’s formative teenage years, which for French electronic artist Anthony Gonzalez are synonymous with the aesthetic captured by John Hughes films. Thus, “Saturdays” pulses with a very ’80s vibe (and boasts a Molly Ringwald reference to boot) and also marks a new direction for M83 with more distinct song structures and melodies. The verse-chorus-verse composition of “Kim & Jessie” is an unmistakable pop number; “Graveyard Girl,” with its emo-leaning lyrics, channels New Order; and the thumping 4/4 beat underpinning “Couleurs” establishes a dance groove before dipping into syrupy, synth-heavy electro. Though nothing quite reaches the heights of past work, there’s ambience to spare on “We Own the Night” and the lush “Highway of Endless Dreams.” —Jill Menze”