this week in (childhood nostalgia).

I feel like a kid again!  Well, I have for the last couple of days.  My hours of wasted time with my computer have left me fixated on songs and clothes that remind of my days of finger-painting and playing dress-up.

Sure, fashion has always referenced our childhood - whether it be an Urban Outfitters graphic t-shirt or, my all-time-least-favorite, the Superman belt buckle.  But rarely do the things we wear literally feel or look like things from our childhood.  Introducing the newest exception: the Christopher Kane Aqua gel-filled PVC clutch.

Images via Net-A-Porter.

I realize that I am a little late to the game in discussing these, but I think that any $720 piece of rainbow-puke-filled plastic is a good conversation starter.  I have to admit that our initial reaction to these was something along the lines of "That looks like my spin art project from pre-school," or "Did somebody use crazy scissors to cut these pieces of crap?"

But I have to confess that I am crushing on these bags pretty hard anymore.  Maybe my appreciation for them comes from spending too much time absorbed in the design world; or maybe it's because these bags just beg to be touched and because the color combinations are spot-on.  Then again, maybe these just appeal to my nostalgia for a childhood filled with crazy scissors, squishy balls, and tie-dye.

My urge to relive my childhood continued when I downloaded the newest track from the upcoming M83 album, "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming."  The song, simply called "Intro," builds on the sound of the album's lead single, "Midnight City," which you can listen to below.

"Intro" and "Midnight City" incorporate all of the classic elements of an M83 song - silky synths, instantly catchy hooks, and building momentum which explodes into Springsteen-style saxophones.  If this song doesn't scream childhood, then maybe the recently-released album art will.

Image via Pretty Much Amazing.

The album, which drops October 18, is M83's first double album, with a total of twenty-two songs.  For those of us that have found some M83 songs to be a little bit tedious, the idea of a double album seems daunting.  M83 may be appealing to the kid in us all, but I'm a grown-up now - and I don't have time to sift through twenty-two songs of hazy synths.  I'll try to give it a chance, but I'm making no promises.

Are these clutches trying too hard?  

Do they look like chew toys?

Is M83 the best music to reminisce about childhood memories?

Is twenty-two songs too many for any artist?

How are you relieving your childhood this week?