Junk
Studio album by
M83
Released8 April 2016 (2016-04-08)
Genre
Length55:40
Label
Producer
M83 chronology
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
(2011)		 Junk
(2016)		 DSVII
(2019)
Singles from Junk
  1. "Do It, Try It"
    Released: 1 March 2016
  2. "Solitude"
    Released: 18 March 2016
  3. "Go!"
    Released: 4 April 2016

Junk is the seventh studio album by French electronic music band M83, released on 8 April 2016 on Naïve Records in France and Mute Records in the United States.[2] It is the first album released by the band in a half-decade since 2011's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming and the first release since Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2007) without longtime vocalist and keyboardist Morgan Kibby. The album also features guest appearances from Mai Lan, Steve Vai, Susanne Sundfør, Beck and Jordan Lawlor.

Background

Junk marks the band's first studio release without longtime vocalist and keyboardist Morgan Kibby, who left the band prior to recording sessions of the album.[3] On 4 March 2016, Gonzalez announced that Dallas musician Kaela Sinclair would be replacing Kibby for the upcoming tour supporting Junk,[4] whom he found by crowd-sourcing online. The track "Walkway Blues" marks the debut songwriting and lead vocal contribution of Jordan Lawlor, better known by his stage name J. Laser, who was also recruited through a crowd-sourced audition in 2011.[5]

Gonzalez noted that he was inspired by 1970s and 1980s television shows such as Punky Brewster and Who's the Boss?, stating, "I feel like TV shows are starting to sound and look the same. There's no more passion anymore. So this album is a tribute to those old-fashioned shows."[6] The album's artwork appears to be a reference to the McDonald's Fry Kids, which were prominent in the McDonaldland commercials from that era.[7]

Guitarist Steve Vai makes an uncredited appearance on the track "Go!".[8]

Release

The album's first single, "Do It, Try It", was released on 1 March 2016.[9] The second single from the album, "Solitude", was released on 18 March 2016.[10] The third single from the album, "Go!", featuring Mai Lan, was released on 5 April 2016.[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.3/10[12]
Metacritic66/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
The A.V. ClubA−[15]
Chicago Tribune[1]
The Guardian[16]
Mojo[17]
Pitchfork6.8/10[18]
Q[19]
Rolling Stone[20]
Spin6/10[21]
Uncut7/10[22]

Junk received generally favourable reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 29 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[13]

John Everhart of The A.V. Club wrote that Junk is "easily M83's most challenging, best album to date", praising the tracks for being "unassumingly gorgeous and maudlin, with jarring unpredictability" and Gonzalez for "coaxing jaw-droppingly stunning performances" from his special guests like Sundfør, Steve Vai and Beck, concluding that: "Junk can be a difficult listen at points, but Gonzalez has been given time and attracted ample collaborators due to the sheer good will of being a musician who cares about music."[15] AllMusic editor Heather Phares praised the album's various 80s-influenced production choices, saying that the "cultural dumpster-diving works so well because it's done with lots of love and zero irony." Phares added that Junk's musical journey to the past is similar to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, only Gonzalez is content to make the type of music he loves on his own terms, concluding that: "While all listeners may not share his fascination with '80s pop culture detritus, it's hard not to respect how expertly he transforms it into something genuine."[14]

In The New York Times, Ben Ratliff wrote that Junk "expands somewhat on the strengths of Hurry Up, balancing Italo-disco chill-out atmospheres and calibrated buildups and releases."[23] Paul MacInnes from The Guardian said about Gonzalez's penchant for 80s nostalgia throughout the record: "It's fantasy stuff – evocative rather than perceptive, and awfully cheesy. But it's also incredibly refined. The love and care that has gone into this ersatz rendering of a remembered past is quite overpowering. It's like someone carving a bust of Jennifer Warnes in marble."[16]

Harley Brown of Spin found some "poignant moments" ("Do It, Try It", "Solitude") on the album, but felt the rest of the homages to 80s cheese were "so outlandish they sound almost ironic," and that Gonzalez wasn't putting much effort into crafting his own "nostalgic fantasies".[21] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune commended the middle portion ("Solitude", "Laser Gun", Road Blaster") for being able to "merge [the album's] junk-pop sensibility with inventive arrangements" but found it "decidedly mixed" overall, concluding that: "M83 has rarely made music that sounds emotionally hollow, but Junk provides an unfortunate exception."[1] Suzy Exposito of Rolling Stone gave praise to the featured artists throughout the track list, singling out Mai Lan's performance on "Laser Gun" and "Atlantique Sud" for putting a "timeless, ghostly vocal sheen" on a record that "leans too heavily on the quirks from the past, rife with the least flattering odds and ends of a time long gone."[20]

Stereogum ranked Junk number 43 on their list of the 50 Best Albums of 2016. The website's writer Ryan Leas called it "the sound of youth's forgotten detritus, filtered through the wrong drugs, playing out like a frantic-then-hazy Day-Glo plot twist to the neon romanticism of Hurry Up, We're Dreaming." He concluded that: "This might not be the sequel we expected, but it's a rewarding one defined by its flickering effervescence."[24]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Do It, Try It"Anthony Gonzalez3:37
2."Go!" (featuring Mai Lan and Steve Vai)
  • A. Gonzalez
  • Mai Lan Chapiron
3:55
3."Walkway Blues" (featuring Jordan Lawlor)
  • A. Gonzalez
  • Lawlor
4:49
4."Bibi the Dog" (featuring Mai Lan)
3:54
5."Moon Crystal"A. Gonzalez2:26
6."For the Kids" (featuring Susanne Sundfør)
4:41
7."Solitude"A. Gonzalez6:03
8."The Wizard"A. Gonzalez2:25
9."Laser Gun" (featuring Mai Lan)
  • A. Gonzalez
  • Chapiron
4:16
10."Road Blaster"
  • A. Gonzalez
  • Lawlor
  • Meldal-Johnsen
4:21
11."Tension"A. Gonzalez2:05
12."Atlantique Sud" (featuring Mai Lan)
  • A. Gonzalez
  • Chapiron
3:24
13."Time Wind" (featuring Beck)
4:09
14."Ludivine"A. Gonzalez1:35
15."Sunday Night 1987"
  • A. Gonzalez
  • Y. Gonzalez
4:00
Total length:55:40

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 34
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 30
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[28] 46
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[29] 57
French Albums (SNEP)[30] 26
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31] 87
Irish Albums (IRMA)[32] 52
Irish Independent Albums (IRMA)[33] 6
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[34] 34
Scottish Albums (OCC)[35] 30
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[36] 56
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 30
UK Albums (OCC)[38] 28
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[39] 6
US Billboard 200[40] 26
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[41] 3
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[42] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[43] 6

Further reading

  • Breihan, Tom (4 April 2016). "Premature Evaluation: M83 Junk". Stereogum. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  • Cox, Jamieson (7 April 2016). "M83's new album Junk is a befuddling mess". The Verge. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  • Kornhaber, Spencer (8 April 2016). "M83's 'Junk' Revels in the Joy of Schmaltz". The Atlantic. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  • Maloney, Devon (3 March 2016). "M83: Nostalgia at the End of the World". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 September 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kot, Greg (1 April 2016). "M83 goes bubble-gum with 'Junk'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  2. ↑ Strauss, Matthew; Phillips, Amy (1 March 2016). "M83 New Album Junk Announced, Listen to New Single "Do It, Try It"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  3. ↑ Kaye, Ben; Young, Alex (1 March 2016). "M83 announce new album Junk, share first single "Do It, Try It" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Camp, Zoe (4 March 2016). "M83 Announce Results of Search for New Member". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Gordon, Jeremy (3 February 2015). "Wanna Be a Member of M83? Now's Your Chance". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Rettig, James (17 December 2015). "M83 Finish "Epic" New Album Inspired By Punky Brewster & Who's The Boss". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Freeman, Parker (1 March 2016). "M83 returns with '80s TV-inspired album, Junk". Fact Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  8. ↑ Hendicott, James (5 April 2016). "M83 launch 'Go!' featuring guitarist Steve Vai". NME. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Greenwald, Morgan (2 March 2016). "M83 Premieres 'Do It, Try It' From Upcoming Album: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Gordon, Jeremy (18 March 2016). "M83 Shares New Song "Solitude": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  11. ↑ Camp, Zoe (4 April 2016). "M83 Shares New Song "Go!" Featuring Steve Vai: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  12. ↑ "Junk by M83 reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Reviews for Junk by M83". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  14. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Junk – M83". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  15. 1 2 Everhart, John (8 April 2016). "M83 is back to save the universe". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  16. 1 2 MacInnes, Paul (7 April 2016). "M83: Junk review – nostalgia electronica, cheesy but refined". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  17. ↑ Worthy, Stephen (May 2016). "M83: Junk". Mojo (270): 86.
  18. ↑ Rachel, T. Cole (10 April 2016). "M83: Junk". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  19. ↑ Price, Simon (May 2016). "Back to the Future". Q (358): 115.
  20. 1 2 Exposito, Suzy (14 April 2016). "Junk". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  21. 1 2 Brown, Harley (28 March 2016). "Review: M83's Anthony Gonzalez Finds His Past, Present, and Future Self's Happy Place on 'Junk'". Spin. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  22. ↑ Martin, Piers (June 2016). "M83: Junk". Uncut (229): 76.
  23. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (6 April 2016). "Review: 'Junk' Builds on M83's Strengths". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  24. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Stereogum. 1 December 2016. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – M83 – Junk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  26. ↑ "Ultratop.be – M83 – Junk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "Ultratop.be – M83 – Junk" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  28. ↑ "M83 Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  29. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – M83 – Junk" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  30. ↑ "Lescharts.com – M83 – Junk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  31. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – M83 – Junk" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  32. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 15, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  33. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track – Independent Albums: Week 15, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  34. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – M83 – Junk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  35. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  36. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – M83 – Junk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  37. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – M83 – Junk". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  38. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  39. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  40. ↑ "M83 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  41. ↑ "M83 Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  42. ↑ "M83 Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  43. ↑ "M83 Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
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