Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is one of the best albums of the last 20 years

Submitted by GonnaHoom t3_1129rru in Music

In my excitement for M83’s highly anticipated upcoming album Fantasy I have been re-listening to his discography.

There is, without question, nothing else like HUWD. Dream-pop existed for a while when this album was released but even after all these years, it is still incomparable to the rest of the entire genre.

Everyone knows Midnight City, but when stacked against the rest of the album it’s nothing more than a fleeting moment. The whole album is jam packed with giant walls of sound and galaxy-sized crescendos amid poppier, bouncier moments. There is nothing that feels as spacious and outright enormous as the trifecta of “Intro”, “Wait”, and “Outro”.

I still remember listening for the first time - the opener track smashing through the wall with Zola Jesus’ massive voice belting out “Carry on, carry on - follow us, we are one” followed up by an intergalactic space choir.

Holy smokes. What a way to kick off an album.

Even the short interludes that serve as bookends to offer quiet moments to reflect on small chunks of the album (Where The Boats Go, Train To Pluton, Another Wave From You) manage to serve as a masterclass in how to float away sitting on your couch.

This album nails the entire epic 73 minute runtime. It is the closest thing we’ve gotten to an epic operatic album since Dark Side of the Moon, with a pronounced dichotomy between quiet tender moments punctuating the grandiose soaring highs of the much larger sounding tracks. The whole album is a journey.

I have yet to hear anything that sounds even remotely close to this album, even 12 years later. Still as fresh as the day it came out. Absolute masterpiece.

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rondonjon t1_j8isi91 wrote

It’s not quite 20 years old. I enjoy it, but comparing it to Dark Side is quite the stretch.

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GonnaHoom OP t1_j8iuvfj wrote

Replying to rondonjon (#1,808,773)

I disagree. HUWD is dream-pop’s DSOTM. It has the same type of “immense sonic journey” vibes to it. Whereas DSOTM is a rock opera, HUWD feels like a pop opera. Both are enormously ambitious concept albums that feel larger than life the whole way through.

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JOJO_IN_FLAMES t1_j8j0esz wrote

I agree. I became aware of this album from the snowboard film "The Art Of Flight". A few tracks from HUWD are used in it.

The Art Of Flight Trailer

You can watch the full film for free on the Redbull website.

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GonnaHoom OP t1_j8j0ses wrote

Replying to JOJO_IN_FLAMES (#1,809,226)

Yes. I will never forget the park segment with “Intro” and the 3 riders going into orbit on that massive hip jump.

I am a skier, but my brother is a snowboarder and I still vividly remember watching that movie totally glued to the screen in our basement.

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Personal-Nobody5501 t1_j8jp7qt wrote

kind of moby style music, and moby is almost always better. depends somewhat on your taste

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gldmj5 t1_j8knvrj wrote

I bought it because of Midnight City when it came out and gave it several listens, but none of the other tracks really stuck with me. I guess it's time for a revisit.

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smokeymccrackpiped t1_j8kqbxq wrote

It's really uneven to me. Some good/decent/filler tracks. It needed to be paired down with better mixing. My opinion only

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atmsillini t1_j8lktfn wrote

It is, and Dead Cities is even better

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LilLaussa t1_j8x1o51 wrote

Replying to reddit_and_forget_um (#1,810,397)

Reconte Moi une Histoire (I do not speak French but I believe translating to tell me a story) is a really beautiful song about the power of childhood imagination. I used to think of it as one of the weaker songs on the album but it's now one of my favorites after several listens.

It's actually a perfect fit for the album. It's reminding you of what it's like to have an unrestricted imagination unburdened by the stresses of adulthood, putting you into the exact mindset the album asks of you to enjoy the dream.

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reddit_and_forget_um t1_j8x5e7u wrote

Replying to LilLaussa (#1,844,479)

It may work well for a solo listening session, but really wrecks the flow when playing on a home stereo with others casually listening. It's the kind of track that makes people stop enjoying the music, and instead makes them ask "what are you listening to?" but not in a good way...

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