Customer Reviews

Neon Bible

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4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Personally, I was terrified as I waited for the Arcade Fire's second album -- so many bands have made exquisite first albums, only to disappoint with the second.

But there are few missteps in the amazing "Neon Bible," which tries out a new sound for the Montreal band -- it sounds darker, eerier, and thoroughly exquisite. They take the chamberpop sound to a stormy cliffside over the ocean.

It opens with steady acoustic guitar, and a swell of windy synth that sounds like waves crashing on the rocks. "I will walk down to the ocean/After waking from the nightmare/No moon, no pale reflection/Black mirror, black mirror," Win Butler murmurs over a rising tide of clashing piano.

They slip into the shimmering rock'n'roll of "Keep The Car Running," which cascades down into a beautiful folky tune wrapped in synth. The songs that follow continue this feeling: the quietly taut title track, ghostly experimental, transcendent little guitar-piano ballads, soaring organ pop, and even a sparkling, catchy indiepop tune or two.

The Arcade Fire obviously took their time crafting this album, and making all the kind of intelligent rock people expect from them. But the sound is entirely different -- it's darker and stranger than its predecessor, as well as sounding a bit more processed.

Granted, I wasn't crazy about the pipe-organ blues of "Intervention." However, the other songs are sheer brilliance musically -- a beautiful thunderstorm of instrumentation, with the sound of a sonic religious experience. Just listen to the crescendo of soaring voices, drums, horns and strings at the end of "No Cars Go."

As for the instrumentation, it's packed in dense, shifting layers. Flexible guitars, clashing piano, tinkling xylophone, accordion, hurdy-gurdy, bells, dark drumming, strings and samples. The keyboard is the finishing touch, giving everything an otherworldly sound.

As if the music weren't powerful enough, we're given Win Butler's wailing vocals, often backed by one or more soaring female voices. No wonder he sounds so depressed -- the lyrics are full of bombs, flight from hostile countries, and the sorrow of living in interesting times. "Every night my dream's the same/Same old city with a different name/They're not coming to take me away/I don't know why but I know I can't stay..."

The Arcade Fire pour out a powerful, exquisite second album in "Neon Bible," one of the most compellingly beautiful albums this year.

Personally, I was terrified as I waited for the Arcade Fire's second album -- so many bands have made exquisite first albums, only to disappoint with the second.

But there are few missteps in the amazing "Neon Bible," which tries out a new sound for the Montreal band -- it sounds darker, eerier, and thoroughly exquisite. They take the chamberpop sound to a stormy cliffside over the ocean.

It opens with steady acoustic guitar, and a swell of windy synth that sounds like waves crashing on the rocks. "I will walk down to the ocean/After waking from the nightmare/No moon, no pale reflection/Black mirror, black mirror," Win Butler murmurs over a rising tide of clashing piano.

They slip into the shimmering rock'n'roll of "Keep The Car Running," which cascades down into a beautiful folky tune wrapped in synth. The songs that follow continue this feeling: the quietly taut title track, ghostly experimental, transcendent little guitar-piano ballads, soaring organ pop, and even a sparkling, catchy indiepop tune or two.

The Arcade Fire obviously took their time crafting this album, and making all the kind of intelligent rock people expect from them. But the sound is entirely different -- it's darker and stranger than its predecessor, as well as sounding a bit more processed.

Granted, I wasn't crazy about the pipe-organ blues of "Intervention." However, the other songs are sheer brilliance musically -- a beautiful thunderstorm of instrumentation, with the sound of a sonic religious experience. Just listen to the crescendo of soaring voices, drums, horns and strings at the end of "No Cars Go."

As for the instrumentation, it's packed in dense, shifting layers. Flexible guitars, clashing piano, tinkling xylophone, accordion, hurdy-gurdy, bells, dark drumming, strings and samples. The keyboard is the finishing touch, giving everything an otherworldly sound.

As if the music weren't powerful enough, we're given Win Butler's wailing vocals, often backed by one or more soaring female voices. No wonder he sounds so depressed -- the lyrics are full of bombs, flight from hostile countries, and the sorrow of living in interesting times. "Every night my dream's the same/Same old city with a different name/They're not coming to take me away/I don't know why but I know I can't stay..."

The Arcade Fire pour out a powerful, exquisite second album in "Neon Bible," one of the most compellingly beautiful albums this year.

An absolutely incredible follow up to their previously released 'Funeral'. Making use of a variety of new instruments including heavy percussion, symphony, and an organ, this album retains the signature Arcade Fire feel, though presents us with a whole new sound.

Notable tracks:

-'Black Mirror', dark, though really previews the variety of new musical instruments that are used throughout the album.

-'(AntiChrist Television Blues)' Particularly remeniscient of the raw distinctively indie material on their first, self titled album.

-'No Cars Go', A remix of sorts of the track off their first album. Make no mistake though, the song retains it's feel, though it has been reworked with 'Neon Bible' instruments which serve to indicate the great lengths this band has come in just a few years.

-'My Body is a Cage', Blues, Indie, with the gradually incresing sound of the organ and symphony. Once again, dark, but a really amazing track.

On my first listen of this album, I didn't really pay attention. The I listened and liked it moderately. Then I LISTENED and decided this album is flawless. My initial annoyances were blown away by the sheer scope of the album, and then incinerated by the Fire (zing!). This album is very very good and not even remotely pretentious as some people say.

On their second full-length, the Arcade Fire look outward instead of inward: Angry, embittered, and paranoid, but often generously empathetic in their points of view, they target the government, the church, the military, the entertainment industry, and even the basest instincts of the common man. If their debut captured the enormity of personal pain, Neon Bible sounds large enough to take on the whole world.

Easily the best album of the year and arguably the best band out there right now. If you have a chance to see the Arcade Fire live, do it! They are amazingly talented and unique. Most of the band members play 4-5 instruments and they play them with an abundance of conviction and passion. This is a solid album, from front to back.

Much like the real bible the neon bible is a bunch of old pretentious garbage that has been done time and time again pretending to be something sacred that should be worshipped and adored.The neon bible is filled with lyrical verses of incompetent delusional idealist nonesense cliche that apparently reflects the problems of society when in fact the problem is much like a priest this album is too preachy. Somehow like the christian bible, the neon bible has tricked many intelligent people into believing it is something to be listened to when in fact it is best to ignore this weak attempt at social commentary and disgusting display of self pity. Steer clear of the neon bible and this group of false prophets for this is surely the path to the eternal arcade fire of hell.
If you choose to listen to the neon boredom be warned it's your funeral...