Arcade Fire, Neon Bible

Highly acclaimed debut records can be a double-edged sword. These days, the “sophomore-slump” seems almost as inevitable as a confluence of woebegone emo teenage girls from New Jersey at a My Chemical Romance gig. Over the past few months, many bands that enjoyed massive initial success have offered less than stellar follow up projects, much to the disappointment of their avid fans (nice going, Brandon Flowers).

When a band goes into the studio after touring the hell out of a well-received first album, several questions must be addressed. Change the sound up dramatically or stick to the proven, original formula? Concept record or not? Hire a new, hotshot producer or stay loyal to that dude who worked for peanuts the first time ‘round? Coming to mutual agreements on these issues and others can often be a challenge.

Unlike the Killers (I’d like to re-emphasize what complete and utter rubbish the new Killers record is: man, it is so horrible I think I’d rather listen to a 90-year-old female professor lecture on feminism than listen it. Anyway.) and Bloc Party, Canada’s Arcade Fire didn’t let the immense success of their first LP, Funeral scare them. Retaining their core sound, the band explores new territory on Neon Bible, but still sound like the Arcade Fire. Mixing and producing every song on their own, Win Butler and co. not only live up to the excellence of Funeral, they surpass it. Listening to Neon Bible sends literal chills down my spine: if that’s not powerful art, I’m not sure what is. It’s been at least 5 years (or perhaps since Funeral’s release) since a contemporary group of musicians last instilled such emotions within me.

Arcade Fire is known for their eclectic range of instruments, but Neon Bible takes it to another level, incorporating pipe organs, the “Hurdy Gurdy”, and a full Hungarian orchestra. What results is a sound the band describes as, “standing by the ocean at night” – gorgeous imagery in itself. Many people I talk to short change the band’s music because of Butler’s unique voice. However, it is important to note that these people are idiots. Win’s voice is both extremely powerful and exceptionally malleable. On Neon Bible, his vocals are incredibly clear and poignant. On record-opener (and first single), “Black Mirror”, he sings, “I walked down to the ocean/After walking from a nightmare/No moon no pale reflection” in a deep, sullen tone, shifting between low and high notes throughout. The same holds true on album-closer (and impossibly beautiful), “My Body Is A Cage”. Adversely, tracks like “No Cars Go” (which appeared on the band’s self-titled EP and was re-recorded for Neon Bible), Butler sings at a high tempo without sacrificing his distinct sound.

Musically, Neon Bible is a solid step up from the band’s first record. Pervasive use of violins is again a staple of Arcade Fire’s music, setting them apart from most every “rock band” today in that regard. Rumored single, “Intervention” is backed by a potent pipe organ and prodigious percussion, while “Ocean of Noise” includes beautiful piano throughout.

“Keep the Car Running” is Neon Bible’s “Neighborhood #3”: fast-paced, powerful lyrics, and uncanny symmetry between every instrument involved. Similar in tone is “Antichrist Television Blues”, which continues to evoke Springsteen the more and more I listen to it. The following track (and surely one of the record’s finest), “Windowsill” is another platform for Butler’s incredible vocals, as he croons, “I don’t wanna live in America no more/’Cause the tide is high/and it’s rising still”.

At this point, having listened to Neon Bible roughly ten times through (fine, twenty), I remain in such awe that writing a decent, mildly coherent review is pretty much impossible. Bottom line is, buy this record when it comes out (and especially if you download it before it does). Arcade Fire blew me away with Funeral, but the way Neon Bible makes me feel is pretty much ineffable. If you’re not familiar with this band, you must acquaint yourself immediately. Bob Dylan must have forgotten about Arcade Fire when he recently told a reporter that all music today sucks.

Rating: 9.9/10