I normally don't listen to albums just because they get a lot of hype and comparison to bands which I like (like My Bloody Valentine), but I thought I'd give it a listen anyway. Just sounded like Pink Floyd that was purely digitized and repackaged as something new and uplifting. It kinda suits the zeitgeist quite well, and I can see why it has such an appeal to mainstream listeners, but I had to turn it off and delete it from my hard drive personally, because I couldn't stand the thought that this is the future influence of bands seminal lo-fi bands like My Bloody Valentine or Ride. A different cup of tea, but seemingly popular with a lot of acclaim. If you like the grand and epic pretensions of bands like Smashing Pumpkins then this is for you. If you prefer the quaint, dirty, and reclusive sound of My Bloody Valentine or Ride, then listen to those other bands instead.

Sort of like the second coming of "Loveless"...imagine My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive beating each other to death
with sharpened fragments of broken analog synths, granular waveforms and
old shortwave radio transmissions...a steel cage match of walls of layered
noise and enormous, sweeping grandeur. Intense, beautiful and horrifying all at the same time. Play VERY VERY LOUD.

I'd say that M83 is in the same vein as Ulrich Schnauss (A Stangely Isolated place more than Far Away Trains Passing). Mainly electronic music - upbeat/uplifting in feeling. I've read reviewers dropping these guys into the shoegazer category and I can't say I disagree with them. I've alos read comparisons to groups like Mogwai because of the "epic" and building way the songs develop - can't say I disagree with this either. There are also some progressive rock references, but I wouldn't consider them to be dominant. This a really good album, but hard to find where in North America (you'll probably have to order it).