French electronic band M83 released their seventh album, "Junk," on Friday.
The album might confuse fans with a new sound for the band. Instead of their usually futuristic, upbeat and modern techno tracks, M83 opts for a somewhat psychedelic '80s theme in this album.
An odd flashback style is carried throughout most of the album with songs such as "Moon Crystal," "Road Blaster," "Sunday Night 1987" and "Do It, Try It," although the latter has more of a modern dance theme mixed in with the retro vibes.
"Tension" is a purely instrumental track that is almost a time warp, taking listeners back to the past. The track is similar to "Time Wind" featuring Beck, which seems to carry nearly the same throwback theme with added lyrics. "Ludivine" and "The Wizard" are also instrumental tracks that seem a bit spacey, yet are peaceful to listen to.
"Walkway Blues" is a track that exemplifies M83’s diverse yet familiar style. It deviates slightly from the band’s pop-electro theme and delves into a blues vibe.
"Solitude" is a little slower-paced than some of M83’s other songs, yet it retains the electro theme in the background and is more drawn out, including an instrumental session at the end.
Scattered randomly throughout the album are a couple of softer, almost romantic-sounding songs. Both "Atlantique Sud" and "Go!," which feature Mai Lan, are examples of this. "Atlantique Sud" is a calming song sung in French, true to M83’s French origins, and "Go!" is a romantic-themed track with Lan’s soft voice.
"Bibi the Dog," which again features Mai Lan singing in French, is deeper toned, includes English lyrics and almost sounds sensual in nature, yet continues to remind listeners of the '80s with its peppy backbeat.
"For The Kids," featuring Susanne Sundfør, is another track that is more on the romantic side, and its lyrics are completely in English.
For a bit, M83 returns to its upbeat style with "Laser Gun," also featuring Mai Lan. This song sounds a bit more modern while retaining the '80s theme — even including laser sounds in the background.
The album is perhaps named "Junk" because it resembles a junk drawer full of M83’s random songs and old ideas thrown into an album. It seems to combine very different yet commonly older themes with their artistic electro identity — creating a spacey, sleep-inducing sound.