Junk
by M83
  • Record Label: Mute
  • Release Date: Apr 8, 2016
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
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  1. The Guardian
    Apr 7, 2016
    60
    It’s fantasy stuff--evocative rather than perceptive, and awfully cheesy. But it’s also incredibly refined.
  2. Slant Magazine
    Apr 5, 2016
    60
    On a base, per-song level, Junk is a sturdy little workhorse of an album.
  3. Spin
    Apr 1, 2016
    60
    They say good artists borrow and great artists steal, but here Gonzalez does neither--his heart doesn’t seem to be in the heist anymore.
  5. PopMatters
    Apr 20, 2016
    50
    Time will only tell if this peculiar off-the-grid move garners the same sort of reverence Dead Cities owns today.
  6. Consequence
    Apr 6, 2016
    50
    The album rarely manages to break free of its ’80s-lite inspiration, its tricks little more than emulations--not innovations--of the source material.
  7. Chicago Tribune
    Apr 1, 2016
    50
    Junk, M83's seventh studio album, sounds chintzy--a bubble-gum snyth-pop album that indulges Gonzalez's love of decades-old TV soundtracks, hair-metal guitar solos and kitschy pop songs.
  8. Austin Chronicle
    Sep 30, 2016
    40
    M83 are master recyclers of Eighties soundscapes on 2011 double-album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. First offering since then, Junk attempts the same, but jumps the shark in the process.
  9. Record Collector
    May 20, 2016
    40
    Particularly bad is For The Kids, which could come straight from an amateur production of High School Musical (complete with repellent husky spoken-word middle eight), while the just up-to-scratch Beck track, Time Wind, and his presence on the record as a whole, only really serves to illustrate how poor the songs now are.
  10. Rolling Stone
    Apr 14, 2016
    40
    Gonzalez's more sincere side peeks through in moody, orchestral tracks like "Solitude," and the harmonica-heavy ballad, "Sunday Night 1987." Still, as its title implies, Junk leans too heavily on the quirks from the past, rife with the least flattering odds and ends of a time long gone.
  11. DIY Magazine
    Apr 8, 2016
    40
    Messy, complicated, capable of star turns, it’s clearly a record Gonzalez needed to get out of his system.
  12. Drowned In Sound
    Apr 7, 2016
    40
    Junk is purely for Anthony Gonzalez. In that regard, it is indeed his most personal work. It is indeed a statement, though a cheap and hollow one, worthy of its title. Frankly, you expect better.
  13. Mojo
    Apr 1, 2016
    40
    Overblown and cloying, it destroys any early promise by way of total saccharine overdose. [May 2016, p.86]
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Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Most Discussed Album of 2016
81
#81 Most Shared Album of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 162 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 128 out of 162
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 162
  3. Negative: 14 out of 162
  1. ThatNiceGuy_Jay
    Apr 9, 2016
    10
    Let me start with a visual:

    You're in a retro 70's Bar, kind of like a Good Times theme and you're a guest, feathered hair, rounded    Let me start with a visual:

    You're in a retro 70's Bar, kind of like a Good Times theme and you're a guest, feathered hair, rounded glasses, collar up, and rocking your best bell bottom jeans.

    As you stay in this 70's bar, these performers begin to play the piano (Do It, Try It), the saxophone (Go!, Walkway Blues, Road Blaster), and even an old dusty harmonic (Sunday Night 1987). The audience, along with you are just clapping along and having a great time!

    You can't help but feel this free, good hearted energy when listening to this album, like you've stepped into a sitcom with Henry Wrinkle, Goldie Hawn, and John Ritter.

    I really appreciate this album because it's not being made to sell to the most current audience like most artists. It's for every generation, ranging from late 60's to 2016!

    If you're reading this, and are questioning whether M83 carries Hurry up into this album, the answer is no they did not. This is totally different from their previous work and it's unique and special for that specific reason. The featured artists on this album raise this record to new heights. All in all, M83 does what they do best, they take their listener on a trip into a different world, and in this case, a retro space ride through the galaxy!    … Full Review »
  2. jewen
    Apr 8, 2016
    10
    From the first minute to the last...

    Thank You Anthony & Co. M83 Rules!!! Such Amazing sound production, magic and pasion that I feel    From the first minute to the last...

    Thank You Anthony & Co.

    M83 Rules!!!

    Such Amazing sound production, magic and pasion that I feel with this album.

    80's Sound means a lot for me. And this is a letter love to all that decade represents..... PURE MAGIC.

    Without dubt, sorry....10 out 10    … Full Review »
  3. BrushedRed
    Apr 10, 2016
    8
    Updating and adding some stuff to my review: Exceeded my expectations a bit. I was a bit leery from the lukewarm reception at first and didn'tUpdating and adding some stuff to my review: Exceeded my expectations a bit. I was a bit leery from the lukewarm reception at first and didn't know what to expect. I expected a mediocre album from him for the first time. Anthony always releases quality music and I was afraid this would be his first flop... But it's not.

    Everything is great: the interludes, the guest tracks (save for maybe "Go!"), and the solo tracks as well. There's a little bit of everything going on here and if you love the tacky and over-the-top things of the 80's, you'll love it. I love all tracks on here and I'd recommend them all, but I'd have to say the best are "Walkway Blues," (funky) "Road Blaster" (also funky and like "Midnight City"), "Solitude" (romantic), and "Sunday Night 1987" (emotional).

    It feels very mellow and bluesy but has this 70's and 80's charm that is so cute and irresistible. It's definitely different than anything he's ever done before but you can tell he really spend quite a while on this album. "Walkway Blues" is probably the greatest song I've heard this year and is particularly recommended. Just don't go in expecting another Saturday=Youth or HUWD and I think you'll love it    … Full Review »
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