In 2023, Anthony Gonzalez's M83 delivered the follow-up to the very disappointing album Junk. Fantasy was better than its predecessor, but a far cry from the career high of Hurry Up, We're Dreaming and their early epics Before the Dawn Heals Us and Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. After moving towards more dream-pop and John Hughes' film anthems, it seemed like Gonzalez got a little lost in the sauce and made musical statements that felt exaggerated and overstuffed. It's a pleasant surprise that the first single from the imminent new album seems to be rooted in the past and reminiscent of his glory days. "Blister Sunrise" harkens back to the widescreen cinematic sounds of M83's early work as dense layers of synths surge with towering emotions and once again reach towards the heavens for some truly blissed-out moments that feel epic in scope without sounding, frankly, over the top. It can be a delicate balance when crafting something of this scale and too often as of late, Gonzalez has flown too close to the sun which has resulted in music that felt corny and like a poor imitation of his own past genius. "Blister Sunrise" is the return to form that many longtime fans have hoped for and it's exhilarating to have M83 back to doing just what they do best.
I Wrote You a Letter is out September 23.
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