M83

There was always a hint of a pop fiend lurking in the prior albums Anthony Gonzalez created as M83, but the degree to which Saturdays = Youth embraces songs (not tracks) is nevertheless stunning. As is the wholehearted, unironic embrace of mid-'80s alternative music -- the triptych of "Kim & Jessie," "Skin of the Night" (sung by Morgan Kirby) and "Graveyard Girl," specifically, could have been lifted from a John Hughes soundtrack. M83's trademark ambient bliss remains, yet you cannot help but feel that it's now part of a grander, more hopeful vision.