My Song

So I've completed my song on Garageband but have yet to complete the slideshow of personal pictures to it. You know how it goes, set up a day when you aren't working to have a photo shoot and it rains. Then the next it snows. Then you decide to take pictures at the coffeehouse but it's canceled due to poor weather. Nice...I mean I'm not making excuses, I'm just blaming mother nature. :) So the slideshow will get put up soon when I figure out something interesting enough to do an entire slideshow of pictures on. In the meantime, you can enjoy my song without a slideshow, just to know that I've got part of the project done and the other half is in the works.

A Song in Review - We Own the Sky by M83

If ever a time should arise where you are craving a song to fill your longing for modern, yet tastefully nostalgic 80s sounds, then we have the perfect prescription for you. M83’s hit (We Own the Sky) is the song that you’ll want to indulge in, over and over again. Released in December 2008, We Own the Sky has become one of the latest spotlight songs of the popular indie band, M83. And by band we mean…Anthony Gonzalez. Yes, that’s right folks, another shy dream-pop band fuelled by one man. But before you write M83 off as that stereotypical band that hipsters tend to use and abuse, we ask that you give M83 a fighting chance.

Anthony Gonzalez, creator of M83, is a French musician who dreams of going back to the days when life seemed simpler. And what was simpler than being a teenager? On his newest album Saturdays=Youth it’s easy to see this nostalgic attitude mirrored in the simple synth sounds, electric guitars, and drum beats. Gonzalez says, “To do that, we tried to work only with instruments from the ‘80s…We worked only with analog keyboards, analog synths; we didn’t use any computers. The idea is to have a very ‘80s sound, but modern as well.” So where does this modern sound come from you ask? We found the answer was as beautifully simple as this album itself, through the unique and haunting vocals.

We Own the Sky begins with heavy, repetitive synth chords. Underneath the chords is a fluid sounding beat that avoids overwhelming the chords. Together the duo creates a sense of floating, freedom, even a wave-like pattern. Enter the vocals: light, shy, unique. Reminiscent of the unique vocal styling’s of Sigur Ros, M83’s sound can only be described as unique. Coincidentally enough Saturdays=Youth was recorded with the help of Ken Thomas who has also worked with Sigur Ros, The Sugarcubes, and Suede. There is a certain feeling that the listener hears in Gonzalez’s voice and to us it is shyness, adding in a shoegaze element to M83’s already diverse sound. Gonzalez himself has admitted to taking risks with this album and one of those risks was using vocals more than in previous albums. We applaud his confidence and hope to hear more of his shy, inspirational, and fluid voice in his future releases.

The lyrics themselves are fascinating, poetic and cryptic enough to keep the listener intrigued,

Secrets from the winds,
Burnt stars crying,
So many moons here,
Lost wings floating.

The words are poetic to say the least. We love the feeling that the lyrics of the song bring. It's almost a fading feeling, infinite floating, blissfully perfect. They fit right in with the beat, tempo, and rhythm of the song itself. While the lyrics become repetitive after some time, there’s something soothing that can be found when these words are repeated in a chant-like form. Gonzalez has created an anthem for his listeners, easily heard and deeply felt. Just like the song, the lyrics are slow and powerful, they touch your core. If this song doesn’t remind you of freedom, youth, and a warm meadow, you might need psychological help.

Gonzalez says he’s happy with the success that he’s had in North America with his music but what he really wants now is some recognition in France. “…With bands like Daft Punk or Air, they were really first famous in America and then after that they came back to France and had lots of success. So, maybe it will be the same thing for me,” says Gonzalez about his hopes for the future. We feel that if he keeps producing albums and songs as moving and deep as We Own the Sky, how could he not become a sensation in his hometown? There’s no doubt that we’re rooting for you Anthony, humming along to your beautiful, nostalgic, inspirational song all day, every day. Because We Own the Sky.