As far as double albums go, all I have is negative connotations. Grandeur-induced delusions convince artists that every single one of the ideas they have had for their new record is potentially life changing and cannot possibly be cut out, dulling the small nuggets of diamond music that do exist in the wallowing swamps of rough.* Until now, this form of releasing music has not exactly been associated with lesser known purveyors of electronica and with an obvious statement such as this, you have to question why Anthony Gonzalez has chosen to release twenty two songs that would fit snugly onto a single CD as a double album. The great thing about this collection is that preconceived ideas of format posturing goes out of the window as soon as you start listening and the music is so varied that shuffling track numbers around has no bearing on the experience as enjoyable. The saxophone solo at the end of the joyous Midnight City reeks of '80s pop glamour in the vein of ‘Careless Whisper’ or Duran Duran and pays effective homage to Gonzalez’s recent tour with Depeche Mode. ‘Claudia Lewis’ has vocals that mirror Sting in The Police and adds a touch of disco funk to the experience with slapped bass.
Gonzalez’s estimations that this album would be the most epic of his catalogue seem unfounded when you compare it to Before The Dawn Heals Us, and the album feels more like a summation of all his previous efforts backed up by an extensive bibliography of influences. The album is probably the most accessible of its siblings and ‘Wait’ even sounds undeniably like Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ (but don’t let that stop you listening to the song or the album altogether). ‘Intro’ sees Zola Jesus help out in a gorgeous fashion on vocal duties and adds what the album is lacking in having omitted other vocalists and favouring the voice of Gonzalez himself, which unfortunately can sometimes grate a little. Even the wacky ‘Raconte-Moi Une Histoire’, with its innocent samples of children talking about tripping from licking frogs, has a charming repetitive synth and swing about it, and possibly the best lyrics on the album; "your mommy suddenly becomes your daddy." Really, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming adds zero validity to the double album format, but it is a fantastic record that takes the best bits of what M83 have done before and plays them to their strengths.
*opinion founded on the two most recent double albums that spring to mind: Stadium Arcadium and In Your Honor.