M83: Before The Dawn Heals Us : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Anthony Gonzalez of m83 from Antibes, France, creates grand, ornate arrangements of simple compositions that draw from both electronic drone and rock drama. Buzzing guitars get finely processed to resemble synths, while synths pound away at power chords to suggest guitars, and the two intertwine and overdub until the combination suggests a glorious mechanized choir.

This hybrid evokes not only Nineties guitar acts such as My Bloody Valentine but also Seventies German experimentalists like early Tangerine Dream. Before the Dawn Heals Us doesn't have enough finesse to hold your interest all the way, but breakthrough tracks including the delicate vocal duet "Farewell/ Goodbye" suggest Gonzalez may soon reach what he's grasping for: sonic Elysium.