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THE REVIEW
They're back.
The wait lasted three years, the time needed to do things properly. After the highly acclaimed "Funeral", considered by many as the album of 2004, here comes Neon Bible. Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, the body and mind of Arcade Fire, joined by a Hungarian orchestra and a military choir, return with a new guise, less shiny and more conventional.
Where "Funeral" winked at a certain alternative-dancing elite, mixing doses of new wave in indie rock potions, "Neon Bible" indulges the masses, the rock-oriented and mainstream globe, without the danger of losing approval. Among the eleven tracks of the album, the ghost of David Bowie roams, albeit not too subtly, with his baroque excesses (see the opener "Black Mirror", "Intervention", "Ocean of Noise"), here transfigured into cinematic epic. The orchestration plays the lead role, at times pompous, composed of strings, brass, and organs, set to inject into the coldest listener's body distilled essences of pain, passion, fear, love. Tracks like "Keep The Car Running" and "(Antichrist Television Blues)" instead lead us back to less alien territories, invaded by drum charges, pulsating bass, and guitar gallops. In conclusion, a work that demonstrates how Arcade Fire have matured and gained greater awareness of their abilities, managing to embrace a more solid and concrete sound.
Even if it narrowly loses the battle with its predecessor, it is an album that cannot be missing in our players, and perhaps it will attract that distracted audience, who knows why, three years ago.
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Summary by Bot
Arcade Fire returns after a three-year wait with Neon Bible, demonstrating maturity and orchestral ambition. The album features cinematic arrangements and a more mainstream appeal without losing depth. Though slightly overshadowed by its acclaimed predecessor Funeral, Neon Bible is a compelling work blending passion and epic soundscapes. Key tracks include 'Black Mirror,' 'Keep The Car Running,' and 'Antichrist Television Blues.'Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian (Montreal-associated) music group led by Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, known for multi-instrumental, orchestral indie rock that expanded into pop/dance and arena-scale live performances.22 Reviews
Other reviews
By mic
Arcade Fire first surprised me, then thrilled me, and finally made me fall in love.
Arcade Fire SUCCEEDED!! Neon Bible is the confirmation that this Canadian band is not here by chance.
By joe strummer
Arcade Fire leaves aside some of the citationism and dives full speed into their talent, bringing forth thunderous explosions of newfound perfection and beauty.
Arcade Fire is writing the grammar of pop rock music for the new millennium.
By CapitanZalo
The ingredients are not particularly original (quite the opposite), yet they are mixed with something rare, namely passion, honesty, humility, and perhaps even a bit of naivety.
"Neon Bible" is, in my opinion, an excellent reaffirmation of Arcade Fire’s talent, a more mature album, certainly more thoughtful and definitively enjoyable.
By lemonbros
Arcade Fire... because when you hear a song from those mentioned before... YOU CRY.
It was difficult to repeat the creative/emotional success of the previous 'Funeral,' but the seven Canadians manage it perfectly.
By nickwire2
There are moments when technology, lights, and mechanics create a deafening and alien sound, a symphony of evil, the antechamber of hell.
Neon Bible summarizes all of this in seemingly disconnected episodes, actually tied with a double thread: amidst continuous neurotic ups and downs and stifled emotions.
