Topic: The Arcade Fire

[AFX]

Just heard Refelktor for the first time a few hours ago. I've listened to it three more times since then.

Lovely stuff.

[rafathegaffa83]

Their post SNL special Here Comes The Night Time starring Aziz Ansari, Michael Cera, James Franco, Bono, Ben Stiller etc. Absolutely mental.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/_fFAKrIntzY#t=105" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/_fFAKrIntzY#t=105</a>

[Mr Dilkington]

Brilliant.

New songs sound excellent.

[litliper]

EPIC STUFF!

[rafathegaffa83]

Brilliant.

New songs sound excellent.

Here Comes The Night Time sounds amazing. And the Billie Jean bassline on We Exist is brilliant

[Mr Dilkington]

Here Comes The Night Time sounds amazing. And the Billie Jean bassline on We Exist is brilliant

And Normal Person! What a great song that is. Punky/funky/poppy all rolled into one.

Rolling Stone unofficially reviewed this the other day. They gave it a 4.5 out of 5 and called it their best album so far.

Can't wait for October 29th.

[rafathegaffa83]

The thing that I find really silly is that they've released the Reflektor video, performed on SNL and released a TV special and yet the album is still a month away from release. Probably would have made more sense to have done more of this stuff beginning in two weeks time to cash in on a smartly put together build-up

[LanceLink!!!!!]

That's rather good isn't it.

In the last 10 years or so I've only 'paid for' two albums, Neon Bible and The Suburbs. I will be paying iTunes once again at the end of October.

[BarryCrocker]

Love it. And of course love Régine.

[saoirse08]

Normal Person the stand out for me out of those three. Reflektor, though, still an absolutely outstanding track. Was humming it around the kitchen after only a few listens.

[JerseyKloppite]

Here Comes the Night Time sounds epic. Cannot wait for this album.

[Mr Dilkington]

Early reviews are very promising, both NME and Rolling Stone (unofficial reviews) have said it's their best album yet. If an album is better than Funeral, it must be a bit good.

Have seen a couple of pretty scathing reviews too though. Not everyone is gonna like the new direction.

Can't wait for the album to drop now.

[ConnieLFC]

Early reviews are very promising, both NME and Rolling Stone (unofficial reviews) have said it's their best album yet. If an album is better than Funeral, it must be a bit good.

Have seen a couple of pretty scathing reviews too though. Not everyone is gonna like the new direction.

Can't wait for the album to drop now.

Oh, Mr D:  the band are doing two shows here in Brooklyn this weekend and I - with my ususal impeccable timing - will be in Toronto!!  Cannot believe it - I console myself by saying I probably wouldn't see much anyway (as I'm a shorty) and it sounds like the venue chosen holds under 1K.  But wow - I'm really looking forward to hearing the reviews, because I do wonder how this is going to translate when they play the bigger venues next year.  Have to say Win amused me no end with his little noise box on a stand and naff dance moves!   

Longest wait ever for an album.

[LanceLink!!!!!]

Still can't stop listening to Reflektor. The song bursts into life after a couple of minutes, the part where they are on all fours, going down the hill towards the water. I'm convinced that all of the ecstasy left in my system from my misspent youth rises to the surface and kicks in again. Powerful music.

Edit: I say misspent youth, it wasn't misspent, it was most enjoyable.

[Hazell]

Here Comes The Night Time sounds amazing. And the Billie Jean bassline on We Exist is brilliant

Sounds more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLVe1NkQA78

[IanZG]

They performed two of their new songs, Afterlife (the new single) and Normal Person (you probably know it from Here Comes The Night Time) on the Colbert Report yesterday...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0tBeMS8cMU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SrK3tDSs5A

[justsean]

Just came in here to say Rococo from Suburbs album is one of my favourite tunes ever.

Will have to give the new album a listen when it drops.

[Mr Dilkington]

Leaked.

Some saying it's their weakest album, and others saying it's right up their with funeral/better than Funeral.

[rob1408]

Leaked.

Some saying it's their weakest album, and others saying it's right up their with funeral/better than Funeral.

It's a pretty poor transcode, I've listened to it, but I wish I'd of hung on for better quality.  Despite the lack of quality, my first impressions are that it's very good.

Wildly different from their other albums, the lead single is probably the closest to their previous stuff.

[Mr Dilkington]

It's a pretty poor transcode, I've listened to it, but I wish I'd of hung on for better quality.  Despite the lack of quality, my first impressions are that it's very good.

Wildly different from their other albums, the lead single is probably the closest to their previous stuff.

Oooh you lucky bugger!

Not sure which copy you've got, but apparently the flac copy is amazing quality; might be worth tracking that down.

Any standout tracks so far?

[rob1408]

Oooh you lucky bugger!

Not sure which copy you've got, but apparently the flac copy is amazing quality; might be worth tracking that down.

Any standout tracks so far?

It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)
Joan Of Arc
Afterlife
Normal Person

The thing is, they're all completely different styles.

The version I've got is pretty poor, but I've found a site with what looks like a decent copy, hopefully do until it hits the shops.

[Mr Dilkington]

It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus)
Joan Of Arc
Afterlife
Normal Person

The thing is, they're all completely different styles.

The version I've got is pretty poor, but I've found a site with what looks like a decent copy, hopefully do until it hits the shops.

it's never over and Afterlife seem to be widely acknowledged as the two standout tracks. Where would you rank it against their other LP's?

[rob1408]

It might change after I've listened to it a few times, but I don't think it's as good as Funeral or perhaps The Suburbs, but it's better than Neon Bible.  It's difficult to compare as barring a couple of songs it's a completely different direction. 

[IanZG]

First listen, so far it's very enjoyable, very different to the previous albums, but still quality. Normal Person is the standout track for me, one of their best songs so far. Also, Joan Of Arc got me on the first listen, which doesn't happen all that often with me

[JerseyKloppite]

My order of preference, thus far, is The Suburbs, Funeral, Neon Bible. From the stuff we've heard so far I expect this to settle in between TS and F.

[JerseyKloppite]

Apparently album is streaming on their website (which has crashed...)

[Geormajesty]

Streaming on youtube.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/CBjqUEMlHTY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/CBjqUEMlHTY</a>

[JerseyKloppite]

I'm rating it as I go through.

Such ratings subject to change with another listen...

Reflektor - 9
We Exist - 8
Flashbulb Eyes - 6
Here Comes The Night Time - 9 (though the live version is even better)
Normal Person - 8
You Already Know - 7
Joan of Arc - 8

It's harder to work out the songs in the second half... ah, I see. They've inserted a 10min+ White Album-esque backwards heavily effected section in between the two halves of the album. It's odd but some bits are striking.

[rafathegaffa83]

Streaming on youtube.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/CBjqUEMlHTY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/CBjqUEMlHTY</a>

I'm sure sales of Black Orpheus will be on the rise now. Decent film, not as good as Cocteau's Orpheus mind you.

[macca888]

Just for the heck of it seeing that this thread is bumped, The Suburbs is one of my favourite songs of all time.

[rafathegaffa83]

From listening to the pre-release tracks that showcased and their stream, I've had the sense that this is their Sandinista!: a sprawling piece that explores untypical sounds, which is likely to polarize. A prime example being the great Joan of Arc, which morphs from a straight stomper into ten minutes of "Heroes" style synth sounds and backwards tapes  of We Exist like something out of the dub sides of Sandinista! Here Comes The Night Time II is channeling the spirit of Neil Young's Tonight's The Night (Part II). The "rewinding" noises on Supersymmetry are a complete waste of time on an otherwise enjoyable track

[John_P]

anyone seen this in town?

http://www.nme.com/news/arcade-fire/73431

need to keep an eye out for any ticket sales for this, if it's real

[Veinticinco de Mayo]

anyone seen this in town?

http://www.nme.com/news/arcade-fire/73431

need to keep an eye out for any ticket sales for this, if it's real

Tix on sale Nov 1st apparently...

[FlashingBlade]

Looking forward to it, however reports suggest a 75 min long record....hmmm!....not sure I'm enthusiastic about that, from experience once Artists start extending the length of an LP over 35/40 min's it usually means a lack of editorial control rather that surfeit of quality material. Less is often More!

[FlashingBlade]

Tix on sale Nov 1st apparently...

Could be a con, but in case its not, grab me a ticket and save a seat for me in your car...I call shotgun!!

[bigal]

From listening to the pre-release tracks that showcased and their stream, I've had the sense that this is their Sandinista!: a sprawling piece that explores untypical sounds, which is likely to polarize. A prime example being the great Joan of Arc, which morphs from a straight stomper into ten minutes of "Heroes" style synth sounds and backwards tapes  of We Exist like something out of the dub sides of Sandinista! Here Comes The Night Time II is channeling the spirit of Neil Young's Tonight's The Night (Part II). The "rewinding" noises on Supersymmetry are a complete waste of time on an otherwise enjoyable track

Indeed reviews I've read so far praise different songs, some saying the first part is best, others differ. Polarising is a good way to put it. I've managed to get my download so starting to appraise it but as with so many AF albums this takes time especially woth such a monumental pieve of work as this

[Victor]

Had a listen to the first disc last night and the thing that stood out right away was the number of times songs morphed into something else entirely. Something I generally like in a band is more good ideas than songs

.... And the rhythms ... Wow ! Read the gaurdian article where Regine constantly refers to Voodoo rhythms and the band mention collaborating with Ram Drummers (I think) during the run up to recording as a way of trying to introduce a new feel to the way they played    It worked !

[emrolfc]

whole album is just boss. been listening to it for a couple of days and all i can say is that every song grows on you and by the end of day two you're really hooked.

[JerseyKloppite]

CD arrived today. It's ace.

[John_P]

Looking at NME the reflektors are also playing some shows in Glasgow so it seems it's legit.