Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[harmless]

I really like the verse melody of Lightning Bolt, but it's like some kid set off on a bike which gradually started losing springs and other bike parts I have no idea what to call, till the kid ended up bloody and bruised in a ditch. I mean, hell, if PJ are going to make a terrible album can't they go on a theme like that?

It almost felt like it was an interesting enough verse and pre-chorus to just leave the whole chorus out (which is oddly how I felt about World Wide Suicide too). Even if they wanted to keep the chorus in they could have done so without him hollering "LIGHTNING BOLT!" over it and just let Mike do some fills over the main riff.

Yeah, maybe. That might've given us the boring non-section that was in Unthought Known.

I like that Ed sings in the lower register for some of this. But he gets screechy in the chorus. I can't help thinking that not only does he try to reach notes that he can't sometimes, he also tries to reach notes he wouldn't have attempted to reach when he was younger. Maybe he had a surfing accident and fell into a coma, and when he woke up again, he was psychologically... someone else.

Maybe that's what those avocado zombies were about.

I think that's just his personality, when he was angsty/ depressed it was to the point of melodramaticness in interviews and we got recordings of mental patients as songs, and now he's happy he's SUPER HAPPY. And everythings about the ocean and waves and you soul and shit...Except when he's writing acoustic ballads about dying....ok so this didn't really pan out.

Yes it does, because even when he writes in ridiculous extremes, he still understands as an older guy that life contains both. So every album from now on will contain raucous angry punk about social justice issues as well as tinkly cute ballads about waves.

And doing neither particularly well apparently.

Well, I didn't expect them to suddenly become great songwriters again on this album. I just want it to be better than the last two, which won't take a huge amount of effort on their part.

[OmegaprimeVKM]

From what I have heard they're both lazy attempts at new music - nothing new and nothing interesting, just like Mind Your Manners.

I reserve judgement for the record as a whole when it's actually down, but so far I'm really not impressed.

[harmless]

I forgot to say in my last post: the only bit of the song I *hate* is those screechy repetitions of "Lightning Bolt" after the song's finished and it's heading to the end. The ones prior to that are OK.

[harmless]

They're just not inspired anymore. There's nothing at stake except for paying bills.

[harmless]

Arcade Fire release new music in October. So that's something.

[Lament]

Arcade Fire release new music in October. So that's something.

This looks like a pretty decent fall for new releases, so if Lightning Bolt is subpar it could easily fall out of rotation for a lot of people very quickly.

[LetMeSleep]

I'm still convinced this was written during the rain delay.

[Sgt. Crackpot]

I'm not sure about my judgement yet in these tracks. I'd like to hear better quality or studio versions first.

I just hope that I don't hear any more new tracks before the album drops, I'd hate to be disappointed with the album before I even bought it.

[harmless]

I'm not sure about my judgement yet in these tracks. I'd like to hear better quality or studio versions first.

I just hope that I don't hear any more new tracks before the album drops, I'd hate to be disappointed with the album before I even bought it.

Yeah. My one hope is that the pushes in the rhythm of the chorus, and the fact that I like everything but the chorus, saves this song for me. I ended up thinking Evacuation was awesome, so it's possible.

I'm not sure about hearing the rest. I think I want to, just so that I know whether this is worth holding out for.

[stupidmop]

I prefer lightning bolt to future days. I feel like eds written that one before, and its boring as hell. And I love wishlist so I'm not asking for especially complex music or anything, just......something. And the piano at the start is awful.

Someone get on the lyrics so I can complain about those too.

[harmless]

Yeah. I want the Lightning Bolt lyrics. That will really decide it for me, I think.

[LetMeSleep]

Harmless, you may be pleased to know tht MYM may well have jumped out of my top ten least liked PJ tracks. It's amazing what a day can bring.

[harmless]

Harmless, you may be pleased to know tht MYM may well have jumped out of my top ten least liked PJ tracks. It's amazing what a day can bring.

[stip]

I liked both fine--future days more than lightning, with the caveat that the studio versions might be better or worse and that it's hard to say much from a crappy audience recording.


Not a fan of the lightning bolt chorus, but the rest of the song was pretty catchy. Felt a little lightweight, but that's fine unless it's a whole album of lightweight tracks. There's potentially a place for songs like that on an album, and I already like this more than Big Wave or Supersonic.

[harmless]

I liked both fine--future days more than lightning, with the caveat that the studio versions might be better or worse and that it's hard to say much from a crappy audience recording.


Not a fan of the lightning bolt chorus, but the rest of the song was pretty catchy. Felt a little lightweight, but that's fine unless it's a whole album of lightweight tracks. There's potentially a place for songs like that on an album, and I already like this more than Big Wave or Supersonic.

I'm on board with that. The verses are catchy and actually I just found myself humming them, so maybe LB is trying to work its subconscious magic already.

[WtOB?]

I liked both fine--future days more than lightning, with the caveat that the studio versions might be better or worse and that it's hard to say much from a crappy audience recording.


Not a fan of the lightning bolt chorus, but the rest of the song was pretty catchy. Felt a little lightweight, but that's fine unless it's a whole album of lightweight tracks. There's potentially a place for songs like that on an album, and I already like this more than Big Wave or Supersonic.

I'm on board with that. The verses are catchy and actually I just found myself humming them, so maybe LB is trying to work its subconscious magic already.

I think it's not too bad a song really, it's just that chorus that's unfortunate.

[harmless]

I liked both fine--future days more than lightning, with the caveat that the studio versions might be better or worse and that it's hard to say much from a crappy audience recording.


Not a fan of the lightning bolt chorus, but the rest of the song was pretty catchy. Felt a little lightweight, but that's fine unless it's a whole album of lightweight tracks. There's potentially a place for songs like that on an album, and I already like this more than Big Wave or Supersonic.

I'm on board with that. The verses are catchy and actually I just found myself humming them, so maybe LB is trying to work its subconscious magic already.

I think it's not too bad a song really, it's just that chorus that's unfortunate.

Agreed.

Our fears were 1) shitty album title, 2) song with the same name as album title, 3) a chorus with 'Lightning Bolt' all over it. These fears were all realised, hence the initial rage at the song. Looks like we're going to have to try and appreciate it within those limits.

[stip]

it is not a good chorus. but habit and evacuation survived.


Really it is obvious that this song is going to live or die on two things

1. Does mike give us a two minute solo worth listening to (probably)

2. Is the opening build catchy (probably)

If those two things are executed well it can survive a seemingly cheesy chorus.


Otherwise it does feel like a backspacer track (which is not a bad thing) with the Mike solos that were missing. I wouldn't mind a handful of songs like that.



What I am really curious about (and I assume we'll know someday) is which songs were recorded at which sessions.

[harmless]

it is not a good chorus. but habit and evacuation survived.


Really it is obvious that this song is going to live or die on two things

1. Does mike give us a two minute solo worth listening to (probably)

2. Is the opening build catchy (probably)

If those two things are executed well it can survive a seemingly cheesy chorus.


Otherwise it does feel like a backspacer track (which is not a bad thing) with the Mike solos that were missing. I wouldn't mind a handful of songs like that.



What I am really curious about (and I assume we'll know someday) is which songs were recorded at which sessions.

All of this would be nice. Whether this song ends up sounding like another Backspacer song *will*, in my mind, depend entirely on production. And I still don't think we'll get an entirely Backspacer-esque production. And now I'm repeating myself but man, can anyone work out the lyrics? Isn't it about receiving messages from the sky? That's OK, it gives me kind of a 90s X-Files spirituality vibe. Messages from the sky are always better than gems and rhinestones.

[stip]

the first verse of this song is the weakest, which is unfortunate. The second and third are much better.