A hot-shot debut album becomes a band’s best friend and worst enemy.
The first reactions after the album’s release are the most pleasant, as the band’s fan base, record sales and critical acclaim increase. However, as time goes on, the reactions start to betray the band.
By the time the second album is released, critics and fans are foaming at the mouth, ready to tear the album apart. When the feast is over most listeners find themselves thinking, “This is it?”, hence the cliché “the sophomore slump.”
The Arcade Fire will not follow this pattern, despite their hot-shot debut album in 2004. “Neon Bible,” the band’s sophomore album, is not even close to a let down.
The listener is unsure of what to expect of the album after hearing the first track, “Black Mirror.” The song is not bad, it is just not strong enough to begin the album. However, the next track “Keep The Car Running” ranks among the best the Arcade Fire has ever accomplished.
This song starts with a light sounding drone that is then taken over by soft guitar plucking and a pounding, fierce drum beat accompanied by an attention grabbing bass line.
Front man and singer Win Butler sings, “They know my name because I told it to them / But they don’t know where and they don’t know when./ It’s coming, oh when is it coming? / Keep the car running.” The lyrics depict a fugitive, and paired with Butler’s intense, howling vocals, the song inspires a clear picture in the listener’s mind – making it hard to survive the three minutes and 31 seconds without getting the chills.
“Neon Bible,” the third track, is short and sweet but the following track, “Intervention,” is a stand out track. Backed with church organs, bells and acoustic guitars and led by the strength of Butler’s vocal, it does not disappoint.
However, the next song “Black Wave / Bad Vibrations” does not hit the ground running like most of the other Arcade Fire songs. Butler’s wife and cofounder of the band, Regine Chassagne, sings the majority of this song and things just do not pick up and go like they do when Butler is singing.
Fortunately, this gap of not-so-cool songs lasts until “Antichrist Television Blues,” where Butler tosses around the concept of God, singing “I’m through being cute / I’m through being nice / Oh tell me, Lord, am I the Antichrist?”
“No Cars Go” is another album highlight, with the Arcade Fire throwing everything they’ve got in their bag of tricks into the mix: Horns, a piercing string section, guitars, a steady drum and a Butler and Chassagne duet vocal to top it off. Everything comes in together to close the song out, including vocal harmony mania.
The album ends with “My Body Is A Cage.” Don’t quit on this song early. It sounds a little weird at first and is certainly overshadowed by the power of “No Cars Go.” But when the organ and vocal harmonies come in it makes perfect sense why this song was chosen to tie everything together for an ending.
“Neon Bible” will not stand at the top of “best of” lists like Arcade Fire’s 2004 debute album, “Funeral,” but that doesn’t matter. The songwriting is just as breathtaking as the band’s first album.
Butler ‘ company show they are some of the most talented musicians in the indie rock scene with this album.
Leave a Reply