So should I!!! I'm rather ashamed I love the band so much and i have yet to see them live!!

Worst Arcade Fire fanatic ever. Only just got around to the Suburbs.

I have a certain degree of respect for their theme and how that played out, but it wan't quite what I wanted from them. Maybe it was a plot device, but it was musically pretty boring. I think they could have made each song a lot more memorable with some more embellishment, but they opted to keep things very subdued. It's not the fact that it's subdued that concerns me; I'd heard this and was expecting a darker, quieter, beautiful album from them--it's just not terribly intriguing or memorable throughout.

No real stand out tracks so far (I have 4 left to go/don't see it changing), pretty disappointed.

That's the thing - they are such a 'theme' band. They create albums that carry a tone covincingly throughout.

Funeral is still the best for me, but I did enjoy The Suburbs.

Love Arcade Fire, The Suburbs is good but it's had way to much hype and publicity. Not that they don't deserve it but it should of come for Funeral.

that seems to be how it goes. great early material from a band often resulting in the over-hyped unknown later material.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p363iifb42...0Reflektor.mp3

Leak of an 8 minute song off their new album. Very poppy and heavy on electronics/synths, which I guess you can expect with Murphy being involved.

Really liking the melodies in this but not sure about this direction overall if the rest of the album is similar.

It's a double LP, I'm guessing the records entitled "Reflektor", and the 8 minute track Reflektor they just put out is an almost entirely different Arcade Fire sound. Pleasantly stoked for this shit.

The new song is good but not really great :/ although that's basically how I think of Arcade Fire in general so whatevs. I'm going to assume that the double album is going to be difficult for me to get all the way through, but Ill give it a fair shake before bashing it any more.

Arcade Fire covering The Magnetic Fields' "Born on a Train"

I'm not the hugest fan of The Suburbs (although it still is great) because there were a little too much filler. I hope it won't be like that with Reflektor.

Oh great. How often are those successful?

I really liked The Suburbs, but it could have been a little shorter if I'm honest. I'm not in love with the new song, and even by itself it already seems a bit overlong.

It's funny, now that I think about it The Suburbs is my favorite album by them. So maybe Ill actually end up loving this new album after all.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ its nice

I miss Bowie. Remember his turn on Reflektor?

^

Their stuff beyond Neon Bible is pretty passable in my opinion. It's ok, just not something that excites me at all.

I didnt

Neither did I. Only losers and JTJ like that album.

No expectations, come on boys, prove me wrong.

Arcade Fire seem really pressed on this disco, new wave crap. Reflektor got away with it but this new song really stinks.

radiohead wannbes

I actually thought their newest album was frankly kind of annoying. This will not stop me from seeing them in October but... yeah. This one ain't good.

Why all the shit for Everything Now from everyone? I know NME gave it a 10/10 and I wouldn't go that far, but it's tainting Arcade Fire's legacy and that's a shame. I quite like it in fact, hence why I bought the record after only one listen.

Neon Bible > Funeral > Reflektor > The Suburbs > Everything Now

Believe me, I suck Arcade Fire's dick and I wanted to love this one, but... I actually find it really annoying to listen to.

I kinda understand why I suppose. Chemistry is not good by any measure, I tend to skip that one. But if that's the only song I skip I consider it a pretty good disco revival record for the most part. Now here's just hoping they pick their guitars back up for album 6.

Basically. I'm not that distraught about it because I figure I can only "expect" one amazing album from any given artist, and anything more than that is just bonus. We'll try it again next time guys.

That said, I'm no less excited to see 'em in October. That's a bucket-list item and a dream come true for me.

I would've loved to see them after they dropped Neon Bible. Not that I wouldn't now, they're certainly a bucket list, cut my left nut off sort of event.

Yes, that was the time. I missed out too :(

I'm pretty sure Radiohead is spoiled for me by now too. Was gonna go with my friend in 2008...who subsequently died :'(

The only time I've seen them was after they released Neon Bible. It was a strange experience, they were playing a blinder to a festival crowd who weren't really interested in them. Today they would get a completely different reaction.

The new album is genuinely bad. I remember when I watched the first video for the first time the top comment was "Last time they looked like ABBA, this time they sound like them." That pretty much sums it up. And I really liked Reflektor, so it's not just a not liking dance music thing.

Hopefully the next album is another "new direction" type thing the way that Reflektor was when it first came out. Their first three albums had a sort of tension between the strings and guitar, with neither one really dominating. I hoped around that time that they would do a record where they really went one way, either a full on guitar album full of stuff like Month of May, or a heavily orchestrated album that didn't really constitute "rock" at all. Maybe do both of those concepts on two albums right in a row. One of those directions would be a good way for them to go on their next album.

great band

I've just been replaying The Suburbs and Reflektor for the past few weeks and I just don't get how a band who made such sublime music could make something like Everything now. I was so embarrassed after listening to it I deleted it. It wasn't atrocious, it was just really mediocre, which could be worse.

I think very few people (outside of NME apparently) like it. I dunno if that will affect them in any way, but if they do continue making music hopefully this will just be a one off misstep. :/

Funeral and The Suburbs are amazing albums, engaging, fun, and interesting, no matter what the haters say. Reflektor is all right, but Everything Now is egregious.

It's just Sick Boy's unifying theory of life playing out: you got, then you can't hack it anymore, and you lose it.

^ Thanks for the heads up about what to look for/what to avoid from Arcade Fire. I have Funeral, which is an interesting album. I particularly like all the instrumentation, which gives the album a unique feel, and I'd probably be more enthusiastic if I could work out what the guy was singing about. Does anyone else have trouble understanding him or is it just me?

Normally I have trouble understanding 90% of anglophone music. Reading the lyrics is the solution...;)

Also, I would just go chronologically with their discography and give all the albums (apart from maybe the last one) a go.

I loved Funeral. Not immediately, it was really strange and new and special, and it grew on me gradually, but has become an undisputed classic since then. Probably my favorite of theirs. The Suburbs probably has a similar melancholic energy. Neon bible is more edgy and antagonistic while Reflektor is more epic and danceable. They put out at least 3 great albums and 1 very good one so quite an impressive discography....

You forgot to mention their reigning achievement which is album dos, Neon Bible. One of the best records I've ever heard.

The Suburbs > Funeral > Neon Bible > Reflektor

^ There are plenty of ocassions when you aren't missing out on much, adidasss !

^ Yes, with the answer just a click away I really can't excuse my laziness. Perhaps I'll take a look instead of just grumbling.

And welcome back adidasss! Good to see an old member, contributor to the World section, come back again :wavey:

Neon Bible > Funeral > The Suburbs > Reflektor > Everything Now

I liked Reflektor a lot when I first heard it - but I've never felt even the slightest urge to return to it. Their first two albums are quite excellent but The Suburbs is what does it for me. Was my first AF album and will always tickle my nostalgia glands. Have not listened to anything after Reflektor - should I bother?

Just giving WE a listen these days, it's certainly not cringey as Everything now, but it's also pretty forgettable. Not sure if they will ever recover. And they had such a brilliant string of albums. :/