Classic Rock Bottom

1 Everything_Now (continued)

2 Everything Now 5:03

3 Signs of Life 4:36

4 Creature Comfort 4:43

5 Peter Pan 2:48

6 Chemistry 3:37

7 Infinite Content 1:37

8 Infinite_Content 1:41

9 Electric Blue 4:02

10 Good God Damn 3:34

11 Put Your Money On Me 5:53

12 We Don't Deserve Love 6:29

13 Everything Now (continued)

47:11

It was my intention to review the new Steven Wilson today, but I think it's too early to give my "final verdict", since I've only heard it twice. But I felt like reviewing something today, and the new album by Arcade Fire makes a good choice for me. I've "had it" for a month or so now, and I'm ready to give it a shot.

A brief history for those, who don't really know about Arcade Fire: Arcade Fire is a canadian so called Indie- or/and Art-Rock band. They consist of husbond and wife Win Butler and Regine Chassagne, but also Win's younger brother William and (enough with the names) 6 other musicians, making it a rather big band. And a rather new band, since they were founded in 2001, making "Everything Now" their only 5th album. I went along for the ride in 2007, where they released their second album, liked it so much, that I also bought their first album, and ever since, I've purchased every new album. I even had tickets for a concert in Copenhagen in 2010, but sadly wasn't feeling very well on the night, and had to stay home. As with much of the music, I listen to today, I don't really care if it's Prog, Rock, Disco, Funk..whatever. For me, there's only music I like and music I don't like. Arcade Fire may not be a wet dream of a true believer in Heavy Metal, but I like them, and still do after this release. Some people might call this "Dance-Rock", but wtf is that? Enough of the labels. It bores me!!

1. EveryThing Now (continued) starts with a 46 sec intro (the same that ends the album)

2. Everything Now the actual song, you might know by now. I never ever listen to the radio these days, so I have no knowledge about how much this is played, but to me, this sounds like a radio-hit, probably one of the 3 hit's on this album. Win Butler might not be one of the best singers, but he has...what to call it...charistma or whatever, in short I like him, and I likes his voice. A cool dude! Being a big band, they have lots of different instruments on their songs, and a Pan-flute solo is one of the "interesting" things on this song. If this isn't a hit, something's wrong with the world. I certainly feel like dancing, listening to it.

3. Signs Of Life starts out as a 70's Disco-song with hands-clap, and then Butler starts to rap, but it's another good song, not as great as the first track, but I like the feel of the song, and the Disco-style, but I don't feel like dancing. Only a bit.It's obvious, that AF this time is much more about "dance-music" than earlier, but still, it's not music like Rhianna or ? This music has soul. I mean it must have, since I'm a fan.

4. Creature Comfort has a killer intro-riff. Sounds a bit like (once again) like U2 in their "Discotheque"-periode. This is the second hit on the album. And on this song, enter "the female voices". I'm not the biggest fan of female singers. I very rarely put on albums with only female singers, but I love bands/albums where there is one or two female singers, who has parts of some of the songs, but also sings lead on one or two songs. AF is one of those bands, like Anathema, where "the female" has a part, as in this song. Hear it, and you know what I mean: not the best singer she/they is/are, but I still love the way she/they sing "on and on, I don't know if I want it". Good song, good melodi, good singers, nice beat. Maybe best song so far, maybe second-best.

5. Peter Pan is the first weak song on the album. It's slow, and I don't really like the lyrics: "Be my Wendy, I'll be your Peter Pan....I feel like flying" Yawn!! I don't know if it's a "skip-track", but it's damn well near. Luckily it's a short song, less than 3 minutes.

6. Chemistry sounds like Tom Waits in some way. The trompets and the percussion, and then it get's "heavy". Yes, for HM-freaks, it get's heavy, with guitars!! Kind of like Def Leppard on Hysteria, but only the chorus. You can hear, that the band doesn't take themselves THAT serious listening to this track, and that's another thing, that attracks me, like Waits and Zappa. Humor is important in music, at least sometimes. Good riff, good voices, on the right track once again. But not the third hit.

7. Infinite Content - hey they really rock now, on this speed up-track, but it's not HM, there's violins and stuff, and again it's a very short track, but a good one, and I like the speed. This kind of sound like AF maybe 10 years ago.

8. The song is decided into two parts - one fast and then one "country" version which is very slow, I mean the song Infinite Content. But as a whole, another good song. Not much Disco here, and for me, that's good. Make albums where there are lot's and lot's of different styles, and I'll be interested.

9. Electric Blue - the start sound very much like The Flaming Lips (when they were good), and then she starts to sing, and I love it. The melodi is very good, and after a few listenings, this song is now one of my favorites on the album. "...but I found out, I don't know shit", sounds "cute" to me, when she sings it. Her voice sounds like she could be 14, but I know she's not. I really like this track!! Could also had been made in the end of the 70's, kind of like Kraftwerk, maybe.

10. Good God Damn is another song, that has developed in to a favorite of min. This time Win Butler in front, and I love it, when he sings "..with a good God..damn". Cool and funny. A nice slow song, but not too slow. "Maybe there's a good god...damn". Good melodi. No Disco here. For a minute I though of "Push Comes To Shove" by Van Halen, something with the guitar. I sing along to this song, each time I hear it.

11. And here's the third hit, and I think this should be a hit!! This time, they sound like Abba, of all bands, but still they mostly sounds like Arcade Fire. This is a song, I would like to dance to, if I could dance. "Put You Money On Me", nice title and good lyrics. Good riff as well. Probably my very favorite on the album. "..tuck me into bed, and wake me when I'm dead". This is AF when they are best.

12. We don't Deserve Love is the last real song on the album. It's a slow song, but it's good. It reminds me a bit of a song from "So" by Peter Gabriel, but again mostly like an AF-song. Nice melodi again, which means the album is full of good tracks and melodi's.

13. The album ends exacly as it started, and I just love that fact. It's like it's a whole album, kind of a concept-album. Brilliant ending on a fine album!

Overall, this album is definitely better than the latest AF-album, which was the double-album "Reflektor". I never got in to that album, and eventually gave up. This is AF back on form, and even though the sound now is more pop and disco, they still sound very much like Arcade Fire, meaning a good band, with lots of musicians, with Win and his wife in front, with lots of charisma, both of them, and lots of good songs, and a style as a whole, you don't really find anywhere else, as I like it. If I feel like listening to Arcade Fire I put on AF, not like if I wish to listen to Zeppelin, I put on the new BCC-album, yuk!! Is this then album of the year? I doubt it. It's a good album, probably not even the best by AF, but it's definitely among my 5 favorites so far, maybe even top 3 (not counting Wilson just yet).

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Nice write up Niels!  I know you've posted this band on here once or twice before.  I don't recall being to much of a fan of their earlier work, this is better because it at least seems to have some structure in the songwriting, and like you said, it matters not if its dance-pop-rock-etc...  good music is good music.

I'll say you've managed to be consistent in your approach to new music, I respect that, and persistent enough to make me listen closer!  To some degree that has paid off for me, the two tracks here don't really push me to want to buy into the new direction of the band but it does make me want to hear a bit more, not of their old stuff, but more of what happens next...

Thank you, Scott. 

How about the one, I've posted now :-)

Hey this is pretty good.

Nice write up Niels.

I live in Canada and no, I never heard of them, but then again, I'm sure they never heard of me either, so there is that. This could have been big 30 years ago and even though I won't be buying this, I would be happy if it was mainstream. They are not played on the local radio I tune into (and Radio stations here in Canada HAVE to play certain percentage of Canadian music, I just don't know what the percentage is) obviously they don't favor Arcade Fire. To all fairness the station I listen to plays Rock, maybe one of the other ones play AF? This is not Rock, but I agree with you, good music is good music. I'll probably look up the whole album, if I can listen to it somewhere.

On a completely separate note and the ongoing anticipation of your Steven Wilson review, I'm amazed you listened to the whole album... TWICE???

Really!?

Like, from start to finish?

Like, every single second of it?

Like, you stayed awake the whole time?

Like, you sit down and tuned out everything else, concentrating on music whatever the heck came out from the speakers alone???

Oh, Sweet Jesus, if yes, then please don't torture yourself on my account any longer. I'll take your review as it is.

Hit me.

#1 album of the year!!

Thank you, Yngve.
Okay, I'll answer your questions:
"
On a completely separate note and the ongoing anticipation of your Steven Wilson review, I'm amazed you listened to the whole album... TWICE??? Yes.
Really!? Yes.
Like, from start to finish? Yes. 
Like, every single second of it? Yes.
Like, you stayed awake the whole time? Yes.
Like, you sit down and tuned out everything else, concentrating on music whatever the heck came out from the speakers alone???" Well, not exactly, no.
I haven't received my box-set of the Wilson-album yet, so my little review won't be until after I have that fine piece of work in my hands.
Album of the year? Well, could be, but I hope not. I need something even better.

I don't know, what happend there????

I do.

That's what happens when people lie. It's like a red flag.

Niels, you are correct, you should just listen to what you like listening to.  

Unfortunately, this is not what I like.  Maybe it's because it's too electronic. 

I mean, I like old pop music, but this sounds like something that might come from today's pop world, and I just don't care for it.  I really don't like that last video/song.

But I'm glad you are doing reviews.  Eventually you'll hit on something somebody else likes as well.  And if not, you get to exercise your thoughts on these albums.  

"Eventually you'll hit on something somebody else likes as well" 

Well, I'm thinking about doing a review of the new Queens Of The Stone Age as well. Nobody seems to like that band around here? Maybe Yngve??

I do?

Maybe I do. I don't know. Heard of them and I might have a song or two on one of those BW&BK free CD's that came with the magazine, but I can't recall what they sound like. However, just to be safe, make sure you post their CD right after someone put up the new Steven Wilson album.

I bet, everything I'll hear subsequently will sound like... Dark Side Of The Moon.

I sense a pattern of hostility against mr. Wilson?

I'll try to post my personal little review of Wilson's album this coming weekend, and the following weekend QOTSA.

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