Who is Arcade Fire?
A very brief history: *From some humble beginnings, their 2004 kickoff LP Funeral has been hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. It was meta-critically ranked as the 2nd most acclaimed album of the 2000s. Since then, they come up with a concept album every 3 years. They've all been great thus far and have accelerated the band's commercial success. Still with little-to-none radio-airplay in the U.S., they've somehow become the biggest band in the world.*
This success is pure happenstance, in my opinion. Funeral set the stage for indie bands in the next 10 years, but that was on mistake. The band's follow up albums have increasingly strayed from that original sound. Reflektor does anything but reflect the sound of Funeral, their popularity is also foreign to what it was 9 years ago. It's a move that big rock bands have done in the past- U2's Achtung Baby was U2's abandoning the sounds that made them popular in the first place and showing off a rock-star persona that's both really goofy and really scary. Reflektor doubles as both AF's Achtung Baby AND their Magical Mystery Tour, toying with crazy studio production tricks with help from indie-music production hero James Murphy.
The title track is the band's first song to actually reach the U.S. Hot 100 (peak at #99), but I feel like no matter what the lead single was, this was going to happen anyway, because of where they are. But for the record, it's a GREAT track. It's a powerful album opener, the lyrics are open to interpretation, it's catchy, it's danceable, it's dark, the production is top-notch. Too many good things to say about this track. The rest of the album is not as instantly loveable. Like... at all.
No matter what you say about the music, Mr. Murphy definitely worked his butt off on this thing. "Normal Person," despite it's lyrical stupidity, packs a lot of glam rock energy and comes off a very enjoyable, Bowie-esque standout track. "Joan of Arc," my indefinite least favorite track, comes off overly cheesy and I'm 75% sure it's just about love. Murphy's handiwork saves this track from hopelessness with epic overdubs in the chorus and a cool-enough Gary Glitter beat. (Gosh, this song bugs me though.) Also, I feel like in scattered parts of the album, Win Butler's lyrics aren't as strong as they've been in the past, especially after the very much "songwriter" album The Suburbs.
I've never taken drugs before. But this album would sound GLORIOUS if I was high.
"We Exist" > "Flashbulb Eyes" > "Here Comes the Night Time" make for a great coked-out trio of songs. The beat on "Exist" is worthy of a disco ball. "Eyes" has freaky production tricks chopped up throughout. "Night Time's" lyrics creep me out behind its dark yet joyful rhythms that speed up and slow down unexpectedly. Disc 2's closer "Supersymmetry" would fit in nicely on the recent LPs from Destroyer or M83; it's hazy, dreamy, there's a nice use of strings to keep it interesting.
This album tells a story, but I'm not sure what. Unlike the friendly, relatable tales of childhood that Suburbs tell, Reflektor talks about death and makes senseless statements throughout. ("We exist!" "Love is real, like a disease." "If you're looking for Hell, just try looking inside.") Despite Butler's elaborate lyrics in the past, I love this. It fits the band's new personality. "Afterlife" is an emotional highlight on the album with a sprinting rhythm, while Win cries out his fear of death and anything afterwards. It's a great track placed perfectly, saving disc 2 from being too quiet or too boring.
There's supposed to be a personal intermission between disc 1 and 2. The album is a lot more enjoyable this way. Like most musical theater productions, the first half is fast, loud and interesting, and the second half is for those who've been following the real plot, testing the audience to see if they can stay awake. It's a neat idea. Considering the strenuous length of the album, the 5 minute fade following "Supersymmetry" is a good way to exit the theater.
The sound samples of introducing the band and people cheering on disc 1 weren't necessary. I suppose it made me smile at 1 in the morning. "Awful Sound" is a beautiful, uncomfortably emotional track. "Porno" has some awkward lyrical content that I approve. Actually, a lot of this of this album is awkward, and I do quite enjoy it.
How does Reflektor compare with other AF albums? How does it compare with other 2013 albums? It hurts me to think about this, so I'll leave that up to you. But fact is, Arcade Fire passed the test of tortured artists disguised as senseless rock stars. It's definitely not a perfect album, but it fits the criteria for a "beautiful dark twisted fantasy." AF and Murphy worked hard on this, but arguably harder than they needed to. Hmmm...
I usually don't score albums, but what the hey: 8.5, maybe 9 out of 10...
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