Hurry Up, We're Dreaming - M83
  • Band Name: M83
  • Record Label: Mute
  • Release Date: Oct 18, 2011
Metascore
76 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
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  1. XLR8r
    Oct 13, 2011
    95
    It's a fantastical story of aliens, spirits, and children told by one breathtakingly gifted artist, and it's utterly remarkable.
  2. Filter
    Oct 17, 2011
    92
    Gonzalez has crafted an admirable paean to fuzzy memories, nostalgia, melancholic rumination and pop experimentation, imploring the listener to become the stories and places that populate dreams.
  3. Pitchfork
    Oct 17, 2011
    91
    Above all else, it's the best M83 record yet.
  4. Sputnikmusic
    Oct 18, 2011
    90
    In its execution, the record is near flawless, an essential distillation of the sounds of Gonzalez's youth, nostalgia and melancholy and happiness all mixed up into a sparkling pop stew.
  5. Prefix Magazine
    Oct 17, 2011
    90
    With less of the anxiety that marked his earlier albums, that world is a joy to get lost in over and over.
  6. Under The Radar
    Oct 17, 2011
    90
    A remarkable accomplishment.
  7. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Oct 17, 2011
    90
    It sounds like a soundtrack for the end of the world, or the birth of new worlds. Extraordinary.
  8. The Boston Phoenix
    Oct 12, 2011
    88
    In the M83 universe, emotion comes before logic, and for all 72 fascinating minutes, Gonzalez has you in the palm of his sweaty hand.
  9. Beats Per Minute (formerly One Thirty BPM)
    Oct 17, 2011
    86
    At this point, it's hard to know what to let go and what to hold onto as a listener of M83, but regardless, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is a pretty fantastic record.
  10. Entertainment Weekly
    Nov 15, 2011
    83
    Gonzalez wraps both hooks and hallucinations in bubbly melodies only occasionally bogged down by murky sprawl. [28 Oct 2011, p.73]
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 71 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. TheCoolFrench
    9
    Hurry Up, We're Dreaming contains such a quantity of melancholia and mood we don't know where to head, and therefore preferred to cram up by choosing the dual format, even at the risk of upsetting the listener. A gamble at this time.

    Yet more than a collection of singles, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming should rather be seen as an affirmation: M83 is a significant group who has the necessary legitimacy to the achievement of an album of this magnitude.    … Full Review »
  2. RichieEstrada
    10
    In today's high tech world where everything and everyone moves so fast and sudden, it becomes harder for me to stay put. Although Internet giants such as YouTube, Pandora Radio, and Spotify have made music more available, I also feel that they have made most songs we listen to equally forgettable; "well that was a cool, song. Okay, what's next?" The point I'm getting at is in today's world it takes a special kind of artist with a special kind of album to keep me seated from the opening track to the closing track. An album with music so colorful and sharp, with tales of dream scape and adventures, I literally say to myself "where have you been all my life!?" Case in point--M83's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. Not since Radiohead's 2007 In Rainbows (or even Daft Punk's 2001 Discovery album) has an album captured me with overwhelming enthusiasm such as Hurry Up, We're Dreaming has. M83 effectively tell stories of childhood innocence ("Raconte-Moi Une Histoire"), space travel (Year One, One UFO), and a life beyond imagination ("New Map") with their dreamy instrumentation. The 2-disc album is reminiscent of Pink Floyd's 1973 classic Dark Side of the Moon, in that the each song in the album picks up where the other leaves off; as if developing stories in a novel, with each track unravelling something new and astonishing where the former track leaves off and the latter picks up. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is sure to be a beloved classic as time goes by. For now, it should be regarded as a modem classic in an age where music seems to bombard audiences with flavor of the month songs by artist who try too hard to be the next big hit; or already famous artist clutching onto relevancy with "today's sound." Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is ultimately fantastic because M83 doesn't seem to force the album upon it's audience (with perhaps "Midnight City" being an exception seeing how it's a radio-friendly tune). The entire album sings with a passion of patience, grace, love, and truth that expresses how much time and effort M83 has put into their songs. And that similar patience, grace, and love is emitted by me, the listener, through how relaxed and optimistic I am as I listen to the album. I'd go as far to say Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is more of a story being told through music than just "songs." A musical novel, if you will. And just as I reach the last pages of the final chapter of a fascinating book with that "wow! What a marvelous tale! I can't wait to tell someone about it!" feeling, M83's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming gives me that equal satisfaction. Simply put, M83 has given audiences a modern day classic. A musical treasure that's aesthetically pleasing to the ears, heart, mind, and soul. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is an artistic inspiration.… Full Review »
  3. JamesOS
    9
    Hurry Up, We're Dreaming contains some creative elements but is also very catchy. Even for a double album (whose lengths is nearly 75 minutes) the quality of the release is consistent and there isn't any noticeable drop in quality throughout the album. Contains many interesting interlude tracks that really bridge different songs together and make listening to the album an even more enjoyable experience.… Full Review »
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