It's pretty ridiculous that they've gone from BNM to 5,6, and anyone saying that Peter Pan and Chemistry are awful fake reggae will have to explain why on earth Flashpoint Light is supposed to be better. I'd perhaps even say the former are better because they're more obviously dub-based, which helps since the rhythm section can't and never could play Caribbean rhythms convincingly. However, Arcade Fire have sorta been overrated for a while, so while I think this is a pretty hilarious overcorrection, it's not as if any negative description I've read has been particularly wrong.
― Frederik B, Friday, 28 July 2017 23:29 (six years ago) link
This quote from the Pitchfork review is OTM and sums up my frustrations with Trent Reznor's music for the last 15 years as well:
Butler’s commitment to the detached frontman where singing occurs barely or not at all robs songs of their emotional largesse, that basic thing we licensed to Arcade Fire and upon which their entire identity relies.
― octobeard, Saturday, 29 July 2017 00:28 (six years ago) link
you guys are not making me want to listen to this album. never did warm up to Reflektor and The Suburbs is massively underrated especially if you trim off like three songs.
― Bee OK, Saturday, 29 July 2017 00:32 (six years ago) link
Well I mean it's worth listening to once. It's not like it spews razor blades coming out of a speaker. But if you're not up for the feeling of disappointment, maybe pass.
After listening to the album a couple times, I feel the 5.6 is appropriate... maybe it could have been a 6, but this album is worse than "meh". Some songs are downright unenjoyable lyrically and piss me off. Others are boring musically. I felt Reflektor was a huge "meh" and not nearly worthy of that ridiculous 9.2, but still better than this.
― octobeard, Saturday, 29 July 2017 00:37 (six years ago) link
Did Reflektor seriously get 9.2? That's ridiculous. And I love Reflektor, but.
― Frederik B, Saturday, 29 July 2017 00:41 (six years ago) link
damn, 5.6... harsh
― flopson, Saturday, 29 July 2017 01:36 (six years ago) link
Josh otm itt
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Saturday, 29 July 2017 02:21 (six years ago) link
Man the songs they haven't released yet from this are terribad. I get the rating.
― yesca, Saturday, 29 July 2017 13:07 (six years ago) link
Banksy Disco is one of the best things i've ever heard.
― piscesx, Saturday, 29 July 2017 14:18 (six years ago) link
There was a moment during their show at Roskilde on july 1st where Win jumped down towards the crowd during Here Comes the Nighttime, and stood at the gate to the stage and sang 'they won't let you in' and he seemed so sneering, so condescending, so full of himself that he was on this side of the gate, and we were on the other side. It took me out of the whole experience, and I never really got back into it for the rest of the show.― Frederik B, Friday, July 28, 2017 1:25 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Frederik B, Friday, July 28, 2017 1:25 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Perhaps satire? *strokes chin*
― maffew12, Saturday, 29 July 2017 16:02 (six years ago) link
Problem is Will doesn't have the charisma to pull satire, he makes me cringe more than bono if that's possible.
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Saturday, 29 July 2017 16:30 (six years ago) link
Bono at least appears to be enjoying himself
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Saturday, 29 July 2017 16:54 (six years ago) link
it's got to be a tiring job
― maffew12, Saturday, 29 July 2017 17:50 (six years ago) link
How much are you willing to bet that Arcade Fire release a different, good album today to admonish all those suckers who took EN seriously— Laura Snapes (@laurasnapes) July 28, 2017
― Number None, Saturday, 29 July 2017 19:24 (six years ago) link
that would have been the only possible trick to make the anti-marketing marketing gimmick worth it, though IIRC Old Man Gloom and Akron/Family beat them to it
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Saturday, 29 July 2017 19:51 (six years ago) link
It's not a bad album really if you don't pay much attention to lyrics, there's at least 4 decent songs in there.
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Saturday, 29 July 2017 21:38 (six years ago) link
"at least 4 decent songs in there" a pretty weak endorsement.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 29 July 2017 21:56 (six years ago) link
Unless you're talking about, like, a single 30 minute song.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 29 July 2017 21:57 (six years ago) link
It's a short album
― Frederik B, Saturday, 29 July 2017 21:59 (six years ago) link
I'm not even a huge U2 fan but these chumps aren't even in the same league as U2, "I Will Follow" alone is worth more than every note of Arcade Fire and that's if U2 quit after their first big single
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 30 July 2017 00:40 (six years ago) link
U2 > AF
Don't think it requires a poll but curious on seeing the arguments. Also why are we all comparing these two bands? Is it having a self-righteous prick as a frontman? Because musically speaking they seem to be more inspired by Springsteen.
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Sunday, 30 July 2017 07:01 (six years ago) link
U2 is aight but they would be much better if a little person ran out and punched Bono in the dick at some unspecified point during each of their gigs
― davey, Sunday, 30 July 2017 11:05 (six years ago) link
arcade fire is more Eddie & the Cruisers
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 30 July 2017 11:28 (six years ago) link
Ouch
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Sunday, 30 July 2017 13:20 (six years ago) link
You're not totally wrong:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYDAF6NbgKc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEZockGkEyY
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 30 July 2017 13:41 (six years ago) link
― yesca, Sunday, 30 July 2017 14:03 (six years ago) link
I judge an Arcade Fire album by how good the Regine cuts are, so Reflektor was already a bit of a disappointment. No leads from her, but 'Joan of Arc' was fun.
...so here we are, and omg I find 'Electric Blue' really grating???
― KevRus, Sunday, 30 July 2017 22:07 (six years ago) link
no one was lying about how bad "Chemistry" is, wow
I sorta think "Sprawl II" ruined this band by making them think they should try for that sort of thing as the rule rather than the exception
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Sunday, 30 July 2017 22:11 (six years ago) link
Listened to this a couple of times now and really haven't liked it, for much the same reasons as other people are saying, I think. Poor lyrics, a lot of filler and some actually bad/embarrassing songs, a nasty smug, arrogant vibe prevailing.
― brain (krakow), Monday, 31 July 2017 11:46 (six years ago) link
this really reminds me of that terrible, disappointing Aeroplane album from a few years back.
I've been cold on a lot of AF stuff in an 'I'm not feeling this, but I get why people like it' kind of way. This is almost like they're actively trying to be crap.
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Monday, 31 July 2017 12:58 (six years ago) link
Yeah, the filler is obviously filler-like, instead of just less good versions of the singles. But I'm still making my mind up, and at this point I kinda love Peter Pan and Chemistry. It really helps the rhythm group to go full dub, they never figured out how to play this stuff live.
― Frederik B, Monday, 31 July 2017 13:05 (six years ago) link
this album is like watching a software tutorial on YouTube presented by some stoned guy who spends the first 5 minutes cracking bad jokes and humming to himself.
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Monday, 31 July 2017 13:09 (six years ago) link
Arcade Fire are selling $110 fidget spinnersNovelty toy contains a copy of the band's latest album, Everything Nowhttps://consequenceofsound.net/2017/07/arcade-fire-are-selling-110-fidget-spinners/
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Monday, 31 July 2017 18:19 (six years ago) link
Reflektor was pretty crap too though.
― piscesx, Monday, 31 July 2017 18:41 (six years ago) link
oooof
http://thequietus.com/articles/22936-arcade-fire-s-everything-now-reviewed-track-by-track
― The Harsh Tutelage of Michael McDonald (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 2 August 2017 16:14 (six years ago) link
there are a few U2 comparisons upthread and my other thought on that is i think Arcade Fire these days seem to be making a lot of empty gestures that don't really hit very hard. i think the context for Achtung Baby and Zooropa was a lot more compelling as well, the whole European sensibility that permeated those two albums (plus Passengers) was genuinely fascinating and often very haunting. the songs were very personal for the most part but the sense of place and time was palpable.
― nomar, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 16:43 (six years ago) link
I agree with that. They are also, as I've noted many times, not the least "ironic." They are indeed personal and often quite affecting in their emotionally honesty, imo.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 17:19 (six years ago) link
quietus piece was good. much better thought-out than the rather cruel takedown of Animal Collective they did last year.
― frogbs, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 17:29 (six years ago) link
There’s an overton window of pop culture and we need to give it a good shove away from this pap. Or, to put it another way: we don't have to put up with this shit. It's really not good enough. You deserve better, we all do.
I'm very glad someone said it
But I'm not sure some of you really do deserve better?
― imago, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 17:33 (six years ago) link
heard the title track blasting out of a car window and would say it qualified as noise pollution
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Wednesday, 2 August 2017 17:45 (six years ago) link
look forward to FJM getting this treatment
― niels, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 20:48 (six years ago) link
If you bought this album you certainly deserve better for the money spent
― octobeard, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 21:38 (six years ago) link
count me as one of those who never saw what was the big deal w these guys
the "concept" for this is weak as fuck. someone bought them some wind breakers with a logo on it? wow deep man.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 2 August 2017 21:49 (six years ago) link
― octobeard, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 3:38 PM (fifteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
you deserve a one way bike lane into the middle of the ocean
― sleepingbag, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 21:54 (six years ago) link
Norman Records @normanrecords · 9h9 hours ago Finally listening to the new Arcade Fire. Full apologies if you are one of the people we sold it to.
― djh, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 22:12 (six years ago) link
Also, is there any excuse for using (a) woodwind that sounds like the panpipes on The Fast Show and (b) this combination of piano, strings and chanting choir that desperately demands we feel emotional in that Coldplay-Snow Patrol way
Didn't we establish earlier that Wake Up did it first and it's Coldplay and Snow Patrol and a trillion indie bands the ones copying the emotional peak choir thing (which I've always fucking hated btw)
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Wednesday, 2 August 2017 22:43 (six years ago) link
it's all just watered down Hey Jude bullshit
― nomar, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 22:52 (six years ago) link
Which is also a terribly annoying song.
― dance cum rituals (Moka), Wednesday, 2 August 2017 22:54 (six years ago) link
Might be a bubble/perspective thing, but I've not seen a fall from grace in this spectacular car crash way as with this Arcade Fire LP for quite some years. And Joan Crawford was otm (reviewers telling a band simply "no, just no"). And not just that one review, or Dorian Lynskey's, but the Quietus review one-ups it and basically brands Win Butler as a misogynist creep (and Anne Wood makes a strong case tbh).
I suppose the fan base are praising AF for their 'daring' effort and sticking up for them fiercely? Regardless, this album is bombing in every respect, except for youtube comments by fans I suppose.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 23:02 (six years ago) link
from the quietus:
This is a song of yelling that might have a distant ancestor in Billy Joel’s 'We Didn’t Start The Fire', but it is not as good.
damn
― nomar, Wednesday, 2 August 2017 23:23 (six years ago) link