Arcade Fire

[Ms Harmless]

Normal Person is fantastic

[Ms Harmless]

this is a really useful analysis on Reflektor:

[liebzz]

Everything Now

Arcade Fire double down on danceability on this album. The title song sounds so Bee Gees that it’s almost disconcerting, but after that, the more successful melding with some of their more traditional elements actually makes for a far better album than I remembered. For me, the albums highlights are big highs, and the rest I really didn’t care for. Sort of all or nothing with these songs. Signs of Life, Creature Comfort, Chemistry, Infinite Content/Infinite_Content, Electric Blue, Put Your Money Down, and We Don’t Deserve Love all fantastic. Good God Damn is guess would be the one song that fits in the middle, and the few remaining songs I just didn’t care for. I’d still say it’s a pretty great record since the fantastic list is at least 2/3 to 3/4 of the album. Looking forward to the next album tomorrow. I really forget constantly how good these folks are even though I heard most of this before. It was good to revisit much of these albums and finally listen to Neon Bible. As for the ranking as others did:

Funeral
The Suburbs
Neon Bible
Everything Now
Reflektor
Arcade Fire (EP)

[LetMeSleep]

new album is out there in the world

[tree_]

i'm gonna wait til it's on spotify

[liebzz]

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/arcade-fire-we/

Couldn’t resist providing the most hyperbolically self important website reviewing possibly the most hyperbolically self important band. As you read before, this isn’t stopping me from enjoying the music though.

[VinylGuy]

haha ill read that for laughs

[Ms Harmless]

"tears in his eyes, pleading for approval"?

that's the way absolute jerks view emotional people

[Ms Harmless]

that review was longer than the record

[VinylGuy]

that review was longer than the record

did you listened to the leak?

[Ms Harmless]

of course!

[VinylGuy]

and?? first thoughts?

[Ms Harmless]

it's gold and so much the kind of Arcade Fire album I wanted (short and sweet, which at this point in their career I'm grateful for); there's one song that has to grow on me a little, but there's nothing here I dislike

[Ms Harmless]

it leans into their emotional and sentimental side, and laughs at itself once or twice; a joy

[VinylGuy]

Sounds cool, looking forward to it

[dad]

it's gold and so much the kind of Arcade Fire album I wanted (short and sweet, which at this point in their career I'm grateful for); there's one song that has to grow on me a little, but there's nothing here I dislike

sounds promising...

[tree_]

Yeah i really wish I could listen to it tonight, cause the kids aren't home

[Ms Harmless]

the song "We" is the prettiest song they've written

[liebzz]

WE

There’s a lot to unpack on this one. Thematically, this is a giant sweeping record that deals with a societal collapse, how we feel about it inside, collectively, and what we can then do about it, being The Lightning’s sweeping calls or a renewed focus and attention on those things that matter most individually in our small family circles. A grandiose statement from a grandiose band.

On a sonic level, Arcade Fire seem to want to split the difference between their early orchestral days and their more recent focus on danceability and I think they hit that mark incredibly well. Add to that a sort of glazed over ominous element, most striking on End of the Empire, but I think it serves as connective tissue for the whole album - an almost Pink Floyd level commitment to atmosphere while having the sweeping ambition of the E Street Band.

Long story short, love this album, which I think with further listens will stack up with their best.

Also it might be cheesy, but Unconditional (Lookout Kid) hit me like a ton of bricks. Tailor made for us forty somethings watching and guiding our children into unknown futures. Damn.

[tree_]

Thank you for all your thoughts, liebzz! Looking forward to hearing this one when I get home this evening.