Saturdays = Youth

iTunes Review

The cover photo of Saturdays = Youth is, strangely, a vignette borne of the early ‘70s. But the pork pie hat and hair-do boys betray the music inside: the fifth outing from M83 is clearly an expression of love for ‘80s pop, full of romantic, earnest vocals and hooky, sparkling synth riffs and dance rhythms. It’s as if the ‘80s are simply in M83 whiz Anthony Gonzalez's blood, his veins pumping with the stuff that made Simple Minds or the Cocteau Twins so great. The near-perfect pop single “Kim and Jessie” could have been the star tune on a John Hughes film soundtrack, its wistful synth notes and longing vocals breaking hearts across the land. “Skin of the Night,” “Up,” and “We Own the Sky” are gorgeous nods to Kate Bush and the Cocteaus, with vocalist Morgan Kibby giving both Bush and Elizabeth Fraser a run for their money. While there are plenty more pop baubles to love (especially the propulsive “Graveyard Girl”), textural delights like the icy-cool “Couleurs” with its detached, distracted dance beats, the shoegazy ”Dark Moves of Love,” and the stark atmospherics of “You Appearing” keep it all from feeling too nostalgic. Gonzalez keeps changing his skin, to our utter delight.