An oft-mislabeled shoegazer, Anthony Gonzalez, (aka M83, might be better described as a stargazer. His music radiates a cosmic grandeur that hints at galactic inspiration and an intimacy with faraway worlds. Despite its sonic opulence, M83’s music has always remained uncharacteristically emotive–a genre rarity in which the enormity of the sound is evenly matched, if not overshadowed by the emotional intensity.
In recent years Gonzalez has polished his more palpable side. The resulting Saturdays=Youth is a softer and more nuanced reflection on his teen years in the 80s. Saturdays constrains and texturizes trademark synth-anthems, giving the songs a tighter and more melodic feel. If previous albums spiraled somewhere amid distant star clusters, Saturdays is told through the eyes of earthbound youth staring skyward at those distant shape and dreaming.
Whether you lived it or saw it in a John Hughes movie, the songs instantly resonate. “We Own the Sky” is a roaring epic that toasts the nights we spent on rooftops thinking we were on top of the world; “Kim and Jessie” is a softer ode to that friend we always wished were something more.
On Saturdays, Romanovs‘ front woman Morgan Kibby imbues songs with ghostly intonations. Her dulcet vocals float amid the sonic haze of Anthony’s meticulously crafted arrangements, creating a composite soundscape that is both otherworldly and at the same time hauntingly familiar.
What: M83 with Morgan Kibby (joined by James Yuill)
When: Wednesday May 27th (tickets)
Where: Mezzanine
