2008 Woodie Awards
Arcade Fire delivers sermon
Canadian indie heroes beat sophomore slump on Neon Bible
Nick Stefanovich
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Arts and Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Coming off the success of its debut, Funeral, Arcade Fire has delivered a worthy follow-up with Neon Bible.
There are usually two ways for a band to go with its second album.
One is sticking to the original formula that may have worked so well the first time. The other is going in an entirely different direction that will mystify even your most diehard fans. Arcade Fire has found a middle ground that will satisfy the fans of Funeral and intrigue everyone else.
Doing what the group does best, Arcade Fire's Neon Bible is an epic and lively release, with 11 fully emotive songs that cement the band's future in music.
The first single, "Intervention," is a new take on a song that has been in Arcade Fire's repertoire since touring in support of Funeral. Filled with a thumping organ and parade-esque drum beat, "Intervention" is Arcade Fire going bigger with its sound than ever before.
Other tracks, such as "Keep the Car Running," "The Well and the Lighthouse" and "No Cars Go," give Neon Bible magnificent energy. The third song is a surprising inclusion on this album, as it was originally released on the band's first self-titled EP back in 2003.
Re-working an already catchy song could have been disastrous, but Arcade Fire brings freshness to the Neon Bible version with extra orchestration and stronger production.
Just as on Funeral, vocalist Win Butler occasionally passes the singing duties to wife and fellow bandmate, Régine Chassagne.
Bringing a lighter vocal mood to the album, Chassagne's vocals on the song "Black Waves/Bad Vibrations," are delightful and don't last long enough before Butler's vocals crash down on the song like the waves in the title.
The standout track on the record is "(Antichrist Television Blues)," a song that describes the pitfalls of a man who sees his daughter has more potential than he ever could and sells her out to the world. The song is about Jessica Simpson and her manager/father Joe Simpson and originally carried the title "Joe Simpson is the Antichrist."
Could this mean a feud between Win Butler and John Mayer is in the works? Fingers are crossed.
Regardless of what happens because of the song's message, the track itself stands alone for its upbeat rhythm, fantastic hand claps and near hysterical background vocals.
As many bands do on second records, the fitting topic of fame and dealing with worldwide success is brought up. Butler is obviously struggling with achieving fame, asking on the track "Windowsill," "MTV, what have you done to me?"
It's nice to know that even with fame, Arcade Fire hasn't lost its way.
While Neon Bible is not nearly as accessible upon first listen as Funeral, the album would take a thesaurus worth of adjectives to describe its grandeur.
The songs may take longer to sink in, and many listeners, if not patient, could label Neon Bible as an inferior follow-up.
Have faith and give Neon Bible a chance.
There are usually two ways for a band to go with its second album.
One is sticking to the original formula that may have worked so well the first time. The other is going in an entirely different direction that will mystify even your most diehard fans. Arcade Fire has found a middle ground that will satisfy the fans of Funeral and intrigue everyone else.
Doing what the group does best, Arcade Fire's Neon Bible is an epic and lively release, with 11 fully emotive songs that cement the band's future in music.
The first single, "Intervention," is a new take on a song that has been in Arcade Fire's repertoire since touring in support of Funeral. Filled with a thumping organ and parade-esque drum beat, "Intervention" is Arcade Fire going bigger with its sound than ever before.
Other tracks, such as "Keep the Car Running," "The Well and the Lighthouse" and "No Cars Go," give Neon Bible magnificent energy. The third song is a surprising inclusion on this album, as it was originally released on the band's first self-titled EP back in 2003.
Re-working an already catchy song could have been disastrous, but Arcade Fire brings freshness to the Neon Bible version with extra orchestration and stronger production.
Just as on Funeral, vocalist Win Butler occasionally passes the singing duties to wife and fellow bandmate, Régine Chassagne.
Bringing a lighter vocal mood to the album, Chassagne's vocals on the song "Black Waves/Bad Vibrations," are delightful and don't last long enough before Butler's vocals crash down on the song like the waves in the title.
The standout track on the record is "(Antichrist Television Blues)," a song that describes the pitfalls of a man who sees his daughter has more potential than he ever could and sells her out to the world. The song is about Jessica Simpson and her manager/father Joe Simpson and originally carried the title "Joe Simpson is the Antichrist."
Could this mean a feud between Win Butler and John Mayer is in the works? Fingers are crossed.
Regardless of what happens because of the song's message, the track itself stands alone for its upbeat rhythm, fantastic hand claps and near hysterical background vocals.
As many bands do on second records, the fitting topic of fame and dealing with worldwide success is brought up. Butler is obviously struggling with achieving fame, asking on the track "Windowsill," "MTV, what have you done to me?"
It's nice to know that even with fame, Arcade Fire hasn't lost its way.
While Neon Bible is not nearly as accessible upon first listen as Funeral, the album would take a thesaurus worth of adjectives to describe its grandeur.
The songs may take longer to sink in, and many listeners, if not patient, could label Neon Bible as an inferior follow-up.
Have faith and give Neon Bible a chance.
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