Arcade Fire

[stip]

I like the start of reflektor--the build, and the hollow disco beat. The singer sounds pretty good.


Wait, what the fuck is this french crap? Did we lose a war?

I like the chorus (the reflektor bit). The horns are good. This is a good song

Oh god, there's still 5 more minutes of it?

The song feels like it should be climaxing at 3 minutes. So far this is really good.

I like when it goes back to the drums at 3:45

The bits where everyone sings (not just the main guy and girl) are bad. The keyboard at 4:30 that plays along the horns I could do with out. The jazzy bit about 4:45 is a cool bit musically. I wish they weren't doing the ressurector bit underneath it.

Yeah, I wish this song ended here, fading out with that cool bit of music. Now the song is just starting to feel self-indulgent.



This is a great 5 minute song, with two minutes of excess that take away from how good the bulk of the song is.


I hope that's not going to become a common complaint of mine.

[stip]

I bet Stip thinks this is the greatest thing ever.

I'm hoping this will be the album that converts me.

[dimejinky99]

Stip

Keep doing track by track reviews as you listen.

Im intrigued

[stip]

We exist: Okay, I can also very easily see myself getting bored with this disco sound if it shows up in every song. It was really cool once.


So far this one isn't doing anything for me.

This feels like the kind of song Billy Corgan would have written if he was writing Siamese Dream in Brooklyn in 2013.

I like the music that starts at 2:20ish, but I don't think I care enough about the rest of the song for this to be a sufficient payoff.

How can there be two minutes left in this song?

Oh wait, the musical bit at 3:30 is pretty cool. At least until they start throwing that toy keyboard sound into it.


Some cool moments in this song, but not liking the singer is making this tough to get through. Listening to him plead 'we exist' is not the declaration of war and purpose I imagine it is for the fans.


This was mostly a miss

[stip]

Stip

Keep doing track by track reviews as you listen.

Im intrigued

Can do.

[dimejinky99]

I'm waiting to join in the 'give it a good few spins' brigade.

[Thejambi]

Stip

Keep doing track by track reviews as you listen.

Im intrigued

Can do.

I couldn't even make it through Reflektor.

[stip]

Flashbulb Eyes:

Well, I'm not really on the fence about whether or not camera's take your soul. Plus the grammar is kinda annoying.

This one is pretty much a total miss for me. Feels way too precious. And it looks like it is segueing into the next song.

I generally don't like these sorts of background noise links in between songs.


This record is starting to feel a bit like all the parts of Bright Eyes I didn't really care for.

[stip]

Here Comes the Nighttime:

Oh good. Disco island rhythms


there are some nice little dramatic 80s synth moments in this song, but then they just turn into this trippy happy crap.


Oh man, only halfway there. There is a really languid pacing to these songs, which would be fine if I liked what they were doing more. The problem is that (so far) these mostly don't feel like ideas that need 6 minutes to express, nor are they creating moods that feel like they are worth lingering in.


the bit where the song gets fast and slightly distorted just feels kinda silly. this part reminds me of a James song from the early 90s. But not one of the good ones. Something like God Only Knows.


A promising beginning to this record, but I am growing less and less interested with each song.

[dimejinky99]

Side two is better way better.

[EJ]

Here Comes the Nighttime:

Oh good. Disco island rhythms


there are some nice little dramatic 80s synth moments in this song, but then they just turn into this trippy happy crap.


Oh man, only halfway there. There is a really languid pacing to these songs, which would be fine if I liked what they were doing more. The problem is that (so far) these mostly don't feel like ideas that need 6 minutes to express, nor are they creating moods that feel like they are worth lingering in.


the bit where the song gets fast and slightly distorted just feels kinda silly. this part reminds me of a James song from the early 90s. But not one of the good ones. Something like God Only Knows.


A promising beginning to this record, but I am growing less and less interested with each song.

This is one of the better songs. You still have an hour to go.

[stip]

Normal Person:

Oh god, this intro sucked. It's like the end of the Counting Crows 'hangin around' but much worse.

Okay, this song is starting to redeem itself at about 2 minutes. I like the guitar part that's under the distorted screaming.

This was a really cool song from about 2 minutes to 3 minutes. The last minute has some cool moments too. Feels a bit Depeche Mode.


Half of this song I liked.

[stip]

Here Comes the Nighttime:

Oh good. Disco island rhythms


there are some nice little dramatic 80s synth moments in this song, but then they just turn into this trippy happy crap.


Oh man, only halfway there. There is a really languid pacing to these songs, which would be fine if I liked what they were doing more. The problem is that (so far) these mostly don't feel like ideas that need 6 minutes to express, nor are they creating moods that feel like they are worth lingering in.


the bit where the song gets fast and slightly distorted just feels kinda silly. this part reminds me of a James song from the early 90s. But not one of the good ones. Something like God Only Knows.


A promising beginning to this record, but I am growing less and less interested with each song.

This is one of the better songs. You still have an hour to go.

stop helping

[stip]

you already know: The crowd noises and stuff are just little studio affectations, right? I do have the right thing?


I kinda like the way this one moves. I'm bouncing in my chair a bit. I wish someone else was singing this. I think I'd like a more forceful voice singing in front of this.

The chorus is taking away from my enjoyment of this one.

and now I've kinda lost interest. But I liked the first minute. So far each of these songs has moments I like, surrounded by lots of moments I don't.


These fucking live bumpers make me want to turn this album off.

[Soma.]

These fucking live bumpers make me want to turn this album off.

Woah. Lighten up, buddy.

[stip]

Joan of Arc:

I like the electric bagpipe song at the start of it.

Not a fan of garage band arcade fire

Ohh, I like this once that first bit ended (20 seconds in)

And at about a minute in they lose me. Outside of Reflektor these choruses really suck. Once it's over I like the music again.

the bridge or whatever the bit is starting at 2:25 is kinda cool. Wait, nope. It was, very briefly.

The music is pretty cool at 3:30, and regina's background moaning is nice. Stop moaning about Joan of Arc, please. I'd like to be able to enjoy these songs in increments longer than 20 seconds.

[stip]

Okay, time to turn tape over, I guess.


Thus far there are musical elements in pretty much all the songs I like quite a bit, but these nice little moments keep getting bulldozed by heavy handed self important passages and musical choices I don't like.

Some, but not all, of my problems so far is that i don't really care for Wyn Butler as a singer, and these songs kinda cast him as a prophet. If you get pulled into that I bet it's great. But I don't

[Soma.]

Would you prefer it if Scott Stapp was singing?

[stip]

Would you prefer it if Scott Stapp was singing?

McParadigm told me the new Alterbridge album is really good.

[stip]

Did Arcade Fire ever thank Metallica for making it okay to have sequels to your songs?


Here Comes the Night Time:

another pass. If I liked Wyn and Regina more I guess i'd be more into this.



This album so far seems like someone took everything I dislike about Smashing Pumpkins and Bright eyes and decided to turn it into an 80 minute record.