Like most people under the age of thirty with ears, I’ve been fawning over the Arcade Fire ever since their debut album, “Funeral.” I’m not much for musical hype, but I considered “Funeral” to be the most stirring album I’d heard in years. They managed to conceive a tightly cohesive concept album using a variety of instruments (including the oft-maligned accordion and hurdygurdy), and crafting songs about various subjects ranging from “exile due to military dictatorship” to “bad weather”. The Arcade Fire absolutely smashed the music scene with a stellar first album, and an also excellent EP. Wild success at the outset, however, tends to prove the downfall of many a promising band.
Not so with the Arcade Fire: “Neon Bible” is a stunning album, and in many ways stands superior to its predecessor.
The band sounds fuller this time around, with more advanced production and instrumentation. They accomplish this without sounding overly slick and polished; the raw energy from the first album is tamed into a more subtle, powerful and controlled sound here. The best comparison can be drawn between the EP version of “No Cars Go” and this latest version. Initially I was a bit disappointed upon hearing that they repeat a song – really, have they been around long enough to justify recycling songs yet? Any disappointments vanished once I listened to this new version. It is, simply put, sublime. Everything, from the interplay between Win and Regine’s voices, to the ethereal guitar in the background, transforms the song from merely a great tune into a near-religious experience. The quieter songs, such as the titular track, also show how well the band’s sound has matured. My personal favorite is “Ocean of Noise,” which brings me almost to tears with every listen. Also, I defy anybody with taste to resist the slow crescendo of the organ in the closer, “My Body is a Cage.”
Though I’m quite blown away by the album, just as with “Funeral,” “Neon Bible” is not without its flaws. My main hangup with the album is, as addressed in the Pitchfork review, the track order. I can even forgive some of the sillier lyrics (and they do get pretty ‘rage against the machine-ish’ on tracks like “Windowstill”), but the track order is jarring to the point of distraction. For instance, I’d heard “Black Wave / Bad Vibrations” prior to buying the album and fell in love with it. But when I listened to the CD, and heard it come up right after the stunning organ fade-out of “Intervention,” “BW / BV” sounded awkward, thin, and totally out of place. I still love the song and all, but every single listen I’ve had the same negative reaction when track five rolls around. I’m not sure where it should be moved to, though. Maybe it would be better as a B-side.
Like the Pitchfork reviewer, I feel that ending the album with the stunner “No Cars Go” would have been best. “My Body is a Cage” is a good track on its own, and probably would have served as a perfectly fine album closer, had it not immediately followed such an energetic, satisfying track. Flipping the two might make more sense sonically. I’m certainly no composer, but I’m also apparently not the only one getting my panties in a bunch over the track order. Such issues, however, can be easily resolved through iTunes playlists and whatnot.
For those of you who haven’t gotten the album yet and are interested in such music, I definitely recommend it. “Black Mirror” is available for a listen at the band’s website. In addition, there’s a podcast of one of their concerts up on the NPR website. Give it a listen, and if you like what you hear, go get yourself a neon bible.
Conclusion, after a whole night’s listen: I have absolutely fallen in love with “Neon Bible.” It will probably drive me to drink and break my heart one day. It is that beautiful.
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