Amph Arcade Fire discussion thread

I made an AF thread on the temp boards, and I think it's time for another one to discuss the new album, Reflektor.

The band has made the full album available on youtube, where it is accompanied by the 1959 Brazilian film Black Orpheus:



This is a really great album, and I'm excited to listen to it many more times (especially when the higher quality audio becomes available). Arcade Fire's music rarely bears its full depth and beauty on the first listen, but some of these tracks are instantly satisfying.

The title track, which was released as a single last month, successfully combines groovy and epic; the music starting around 4:40 (with the Bowie cameo) is particularly strong. Lyrically it expands on some of the themes from The Suburbs, namely in "Deep Blue" and "We Used to Wait," where modern technology is decried as an empty distraction from our humanity. (Come to think of it, this theme appears in their music as early as Funeral - in "Neighborhood #4", Win sings "There's some spirit I used to know that's been drowned out by the radio.") As someone who constantly worries about living a lifestyle that is more consumptive than productive, the lyrics of "Reflektor" really resonate with me.

Also, the first few seconds of the track are supposedly the opening bars of "Neighborhood #1" played backwards; the first of many references to reflection and symmetry in this album.

I've been a fan of the second track, "We Exist," since I heard it on their live special. It's just great, and I would also recommend watching the live performance if you haven't already, because the crowd's dancing just enhances the experience.

I haven't had a chance yet to let the other tracks sink in. But instant highlights for me include "Flashbulb Eyes," "Normal Person," "Joan of Arc," and "It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus)." On the initial listen through, the first half of the album appears stronger, but the second side is clearly intended for a slower digestion and more careful listening, so I can't judge it just yet.

The interlude between the two parts is something of an instrumental montage of side 1, played in reverse. You can listen to the un-reversed version here. If you don't have time to listen to the full album right now, this might be a good "sampler." No vocals though.

 

Here's the aforementioned live performance of "We Exist":

 

does anyone know if there is another place to hear the whole album? i'm getting a message that the video is private.

 

Yeah, they took down the video after a couple of days - guess it really was a "teaser." However, the full album just appeared on Spotify!

 

I like what I've listened to by them! I might be asking for an album for Christmas.

 

Good idea!

Their first album, Funeral, is still my personal favorite. It is the most orchestral, symphonic, and emotional, IMHO. There isn't a weak track and it flows beautifully. The only possible negative is that the vocals are mixed low on some songs, making the lyrics hard to hear. The album was one of the most critically acclaimed of the last decade.

With Neon Bible, the vocals are improved, and the lyrics perhaps show signs of a maturing band. The album contains a few of AF's best songs, but there are also a couple of weaker tracks, and it generally feels to me like their least cohesive album. It's still great.

It took me a while to warm up to The Suburbs, which is strange, since it is their most commercially successful record and the one that brought them mainstream recognition in the US. It is less sweeping and symphonic, but more restrained and nuanced. I suppose the songs may be more accessible to someone from a pop background, but they definitely don't rely on powerful choruses. I think the only way to fully appreciate the album is to listen to it in full, because it builds to its own climax, both musically and thematically. It is probably their most cohesive and conceptual work, and full of nostalgia.

In Reflektor, the band demonstrates its largest stylistic range by far. The electronic sound explored briefly in The Suburbs returns in full force here, and the production clearly benefits from James Murphy's hand (of LCD Soundsystem). The time that the band spent in Haiti obviously had a big influence on some of the tracks. Rhythmically, it is definitely their most complex and advanced work. There are hints of Funeral and Neon Bible's grandiosity intermixed with the subdued melancholy of The Suburbs. I haven't even begun to process all of the themes explored in the lyrics, but it's really great stuff. At this stage I would consider it my #2 album of theirs.

 

I'm a chronology buff, so I'll ask for the first album that they made.

 

That would be Funeral.

I like Reflektor (the album, that is) a lot.

 

so he's trying to channel bryan ferry and adam ant now?

 

I may have to revise my opinion about the first half of the album being stronger... the more I listen, the more I appreciate the second disc. "It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus)" obviously has that killer guitar riff, but all of the other tracks (with the possible exception of "Supersymmetry," which still feels like the weakest end to an AF album) are hypnotically beautiful.

And here's a special treat... a non-album single that was released after Funeral:

 

I've listen t snippets of the new album several time (smaples on iTunes), just can't get enthused.

 

If you can get your hands on the full album, either via Spotify or some other means, I would recommend giving it a full listen. I'm not sure if I could evaluate any of the songs based on a short preview. Plus, AF puts a lot of work into sequencing their albums, so it's best enjoyed as a complete work. Just my two cents.

Not sure if this will remain on Youtube, but someone has made an unofficial music video for "Porno":



This is one of the songs that didn't win me over on the first listen, but I've come to appreciate very much.

 

Saw this on my news feed today: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...71097a-4004-11e3-9c8b-e8deeb3c755b_story.html

 

I'm listening to more and more of them, and I'm pretty darn impressed.

 

lol my brain hurts from reading such a stupid review

I don't care about their supposedly boring sex lives, or making any comparisons to other artists. Also, I think using French lyrics sometimes is definitely not an attempt at "cosmopolitan sophistication," as the band are from Montreal and it's Régine's first language. I think it's stupid to assume that monolingual (or English-only) lyrics should be the norm. French is part of the band's identity, so why not use it now and then? Sometimes you can capture a different poetry than you would with English words.

 

I realize I'm just talking to myself at this point, but...

The back-to-back of "Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)" and "It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus)" is one of the most epic 13 minutes of music I've heard in a while.

 

it's probably my least favourite album of theirs to date but having said that i do still like it, and i like the fact they've continued to experiment with different sounds (the opening track is distinctly lcd soundsystem, and one song - one of awful sound or its never over i think - reminded me of the flaming lips). it's hardly the "Kid A" moment for the band though, as I've read from some reviews. i think the problem may be, upon initial listens, that the best stuff doesn't appear until mid to lateway through the album. at least that's the case for me. after a few listens now i think my two standouts are porno and joan of arc.

i do like the album, though; i just don't think it tops any of their previous stuff. in fact, like you Terr, i don't think they've ever topped Funeral. either that means they just had an amazing opening album or they've continually played catch up. i think it's probably more the former, but there does seem something more organic about a band who progressively get better in the early days - Radiohead being a case in point.

 

I should listen to more of them now since I have that one Ke$sha song stuck in my head.

 

I agree, I'm on my 4th or 5th listen through the album and I really get the impression that the lead singer is trying to be someone he's not. Especially after listening to their other music. The album isn't a total pile of crap but I don't think it will get heavy play on my Ipod either.

 

Well, finally got around to playing it on spotify. Really can't get into the title track.

EDIT: I got through Joan of Arc. I'm sorry, the Emperor has no clothes, the album is awful.

 

You stopped at the end of disc one. Depending on your tastes, you might like disc two, which is very different.

 

For you diehard Funeral fans out there, the Seattle Rock Orchestra has done some nice covers of those songs.

Here's Crown of Love:




And Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels):




You can see the full performance (including Rebellion and Windowsill) here. They also have snippets from their complete Funeral concert, with the full orchestra and different vocalists, here.

 

Here's a great interview of Win Butler by Rainn Wilson!

 

Arcade Fire's score to the film "Her" is available streaming here, at least for the moment. Apparently they have no plans to officially release it, which is a shame.

Oh yeah, go see this movie if you haven't already.