Reviews (page 12 of 13)
Not a fan
Pish
Dark, nostalgic, dense.
This album is already in my spotify library, really enjoy a few of the tracks, although the rest of the album has a few donkeys in there. There are some pompus theatrical tracks in there, such as Intervention and My Body Is A Cage, with the dramatic church organ backing, but i guess it could have been a lot worse if they'd stuck a country track in there.... because that would have been sooooooo baddddddd. As a whole the album has got a few quite good tracks, which are strangely comparative to Killers at times for me. Best tracks for me, Keep The Car Running, and No Cars Go.
I like Funeral better! This one's always been pretty okay for me, but more of a subdued background sound.
I didn’t realize how similar Arcade Fire is to Bruce Springsteen, with some Talking Heads and The Clash thrown in— all artists I love. I should like this but I don’t care for the vocal tone of the singers.
Didn't suck, but was immediately forgettable.
Pretty good album - sounds like Arcade Fire. I like some of their songs but not much was jumping out at me here.
An old favorite, absolutely love nearly every track.
Likely good live but I would never choose to listen
good vibes, “my body is a cage” is schijfke, maar de rest ook goe
Pretty decent, sad vibes, but I kinda enjoyed it
This is a tough one because I was a big fan of Arcade Fire, especially their early albums. But Win Butler unfortunately seems like a huge creep, specifically using his status with fans, which was all really terrible. On top of that it kind of showcased that his whole persona was fraudulent, especially with his wife in the band. His actions were so antithetical to the person he was selling himself as as the bandleader and songwriter, so it makes a lot of his music feel inauthentic. With all of that being said, I will try to rank this album based on how I feel about the music at this time. This album is just fine. I do find Win Butler to be a little self-satisfied with his songwriting. I remember feeling a little disappointed in this album after the incredible debut that was Funeral. This definitely feels like a darker sophomore album, with a few solid standouts. I know I'll have other AF albums come up in this list, and I'd say this is the least successful of their early albums that I was still mostly enjoying. Standout Tracks: Keep the Car Running, Intervention, (Antichrist Television Blues), No Cars Go
Good, bigger than life energy
I’ve bought this on iTunes when it came out. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to the whole thing through, but I’ve heard every song before just from shuffling. This doesn’t hit the heights of Funeral, but it is more even throughout. Approaches some of the nostalgia that they master on The Suburbs. Doesn’t have a ton of songs they play live still. It’s kind of the forgotten middle child between one of the most important rock debuts and a surprise Grammy winning record. This is still really good annd I would rank it aMing the best of the 2000s. Intervention just goes, I don’t get why it’s not a live staple for them. Windowsill is amazing. Two observations about the context of this album. - I didn’t realize how Springsteen this one is. Also strange considering at the time The Killers had their second album Sam’s Town which also went pretty Bruce. I can’t place why The Boss was in the zeitgeist in 2006/7? -This was also Arcade Fire at the height of their cultural relevance with established bands. I remember Coldplay trying to make themselves more like Arcade Fire for Viva La Vida. U2 was always playing Wale Up before they came on stage. And the Foo Fighters covered Keep the Car Running. I don’t know where this band goes from here though. They barely finished the tour for WE with their support dropping out. They’ve done a couple of festival slots where they have done amazing. A real shame given this was our best Canadian rock act going.
Meh
I am of the opinion that Arcade Fire got too famous too fast. There is an almost indefinable air of self-satisfaction here that I can't shake. It's good, albeit probably the weakest of the first three Arcade Fire albums, but off-putting.
it sounds too repetitive to me
Ach, das sind Arcade Fire? Will ich nie wieder hören müssen.
Enjoyed this
Keep the car running is a great song but the rest is a little meh
Love Funeral, love Neon Bible, hate Win. Simple as.
très dull comme album. oubliez que ca roulait. 5.5/10
Modern rock
here lies, l a u r a r i n t o u l born: folsom prison live died: elephant white stripes slain in action, valiantly battling terrible albums rest in peace i lay down my wreath and say a prayer. what point now is there in carrying on? the goofy bit that i like the sound of my own voice isnt so funny to me now that no one is actually listening. now im just a sad little boy listening to frank black on the bus all alone! an album that i only know through laura! who will forget such classic album reviews as: Elephant The White Stripes sososososso goddam boring 1 i could not have said it better myself! laura will be forever remembered as someone who used this platform for good - what it was actually made for; reviewing albums. i used it for recording manic episodes and finding revolutionary new ways to not have sex. shes in heaven now, making music that probably sounds like having ones head slammed into a concrete floor repeatedly, but in a cathartic and beautiful kind of way. god bless her and all who sail in her. amen
An easy band to mock given their recent output but the early albums stand strong and remind what indie rock can be. Solid 4.5.
There doesn't need to be three arcade fire albums in this list, this one only has two or three really great songs, plus the earlier EP version of No Cars Go is much better than this one. Man is that an understatement, just listening now, it's a real shame what they did to it, it's godawful, the version on this record, so irritating. Any Arcade Fire fans reading this who somehow haven't heard the EP version I urge you, go listen, it's still there on Spotify in the singles section. More raw, certainly, but all the more effective for it. I was sorely disappointed by this album at the time after the debut. I did however go see them on this tour. Several B side level songs, but what they do retain is the ability to build to a big finish in a song. I mean it's still good, obviously, just not anywhere near as good as their two really great albums. Was going to round up to 4, but that shiny and lobotomized version of No Cars Go forced me to stick to my guns and go with 3.
I really liked the over-the-top theatrical instrumentals on this one. Overall enjoyable album
Not as good as Funeral, but pretty damn good. Keep that car running
Bad
Don't really know what to make of this one. I actually forgot that I had heard 'The Suburbs' at an earlier stage of this journey and it was a few songs in that I had recognised the pattern. Unfortunately a bit front heavy and didn't really do much for me, again this really felt like an album I was going to like. Sorry guys
Abso-fucking-lutely glorious album. It has that Phil Spector Wall of Sound feel about it.
A little overwrought, and less certain of its purpose, but still, it's Arcade Fire. The songs are great, very well constructed, there is something to discover with every listen, but it does feel overcrowded. Thankfully, their sound would be stripped down largely for 2010's fantastic The Suburbs.
Yea not bad
Some great moments but a bit indulgent
Nice but forgettable
Their most OK album. Not anywhere close to "Funeral" and "The Suburbs" in my opinion. Arcade Fire is so good at making their songs sound nostalgic though. I don't know how they do it, but it's always really cool.
I could never really get into this band. I don't hate the music, it's just that most of it doesn't really sparkle for me. Some of their songs do. I quite liked Keep The Car Running and No Cars Go. But a lot of it just doesn't live up to the hype for me.
Ok Indy album
A very indie / semi electronic vibe rock album discovery
Always been intrigued by Arcade Fire when I stumble across them, but never owned any of their albums. Enough good stuff on here - love their unique sound. ‘No Cars Go’ stands out for me.
It was pretty good, but I prefer The Suburbs. 3
Not bad
Sounds too much like the other albums. Hard to judge on our own merit.
i feel like i never love all the songs on Arcade Fire albums but i always really like the album as a whole
Graceful, soaring, melodic noughties indie. Lyrics are thoughtful if slightly impenetrable and the music encourages you to bob your head from side to side, probably astride an enormous town bike in the Netherlands or something, basket included. One for sensitive and precocious arty kids I'd say. It won't stay with me but I enjoyed the visit
Tis a shame that Win Butler is a punchable asshole because this is a solid album. Some really good songs on here.
Radiohead meets David Bowie meets The Cure meets U2 meets Bruce Springsteen meets Florence and the Machine with a quick hop over to Dead Can Dance for a smidge. None of it was horrible, only one stood out to me enough to save to my playlist: Keep the Car Running Noisy, chaotic, some passionate vocals, some meh. Sometimes my toe tapped, sometimes it didnt.
Solid album, it's just really pleasant to listen too. If you liked this then listen to The Suburbs
Really wanted to love this. Sounds excellent, gets very interesting on side B. Not totally my thing but being objective here
Big fan of this album. Will definitely be coming back to listen to more of this band/album. Solid 8.5/10
Sucks balls
I enjoyed I very chill album
Didn’t like this album-the sound of it isn’t for me, I think. The sound mix is muddy, leading to some songs having an odd dynamic between vocals and instrumental. Lyrically it’s pedestrian whining about life in a way that I find grating. These are personal reactions, musically the bad is quite competent and I can see why others would like it, which is why it is two stars not one.
I'd heard of Arcade Fire but couldn't name you a song to save my life. I was absolutely missing out, but I don't know if I would have got on with this if I had heard it back at release, or even more than a couple of years back. But my tastes have definitely moved towards adoring this sort of thing. It's an indie rock album with the power of an orchestra behind it. It just sounds huge - Often the songs build up into these swelling crescendos, and it just feels absolutely amazing. Despite this, it still has somewhat of an acoustic simplicity to its feel, and at times it does know when to strip back the orchestra and take on that simplicity, but everything feels like it has its purpose. It never feels too overproduced or crowded, and contrary to some of the more critical reviews I didn't ever find it too pretentious either. This was just a wonderful album that kept me intrigued and inspired throughout, and it's fair to say that I really enjoyed it. Favourite: No Cars Go
Parit hitit sieltä tunnisti, ekaa kertaa varmaan kuuntelin albumin. Koitin kahesti kuunnella, mut ei kyl lähteny. 2/5.
It was like listening to nothing.
Dreary, tiresome dirge-pop. Use your time more productively by cleaning your shower out.
cant believe I never heard them before - the title track is the best one by far, followed by No Cars Go
The array of sounds that this band can bind together into a cohesive piece of music is astonishing. They are worth a deep dive for anyone who enjoys popular music that doesn't suck.
Can leave this more than I can take it.
Shittiest band on earth makes a perfect soundtrack to wish to die faster
It's a fantastic album, not sure how often I want to listen now we know what Win Butler has been upto.
Caught between a rock (The Suburbs) and a hard place (Funeral) this album feels like one that doesn’t grasp its identity until it is almost over. Finally getting to it on tracks 10 and 11. Win Butler and his band don’t quite hit the levels they want to…but they get close.
I don’t know what it is but I really don’t like Arcade Fire. The last album ‘The Suburbs’ didn’t quite hit home and this sank even lower. I think the chord progression they use just isn’t for me, or it’s too cheerful sounding or something. I wanted to like it, but for the whole album I just couldn’t wait for it to be over, and I wanted to skip every song. I think this is also the first album I rate 1 star even though the production and sound is actually good. Here it’s just the music that really don’t work for me.
This one was a real hard one to pinpoint. I tried listening to it multiple times during the duration of a few days, due to other commitments or general boredom with the album I had to stop. Arcade Fire is the band I feel I should've loved in my late teens but I never really heard of them until a few years later. There are hooks and parts of songs I really enjoy but the lyrics are inredibly, unforgivably pretentious (something teenage me would've loved). Today I find it somewhat cringey. So with my cringe-o-meter turned off I actually like some of it (after a few repeats) but as a whole i don't think I will be coming back to this album. Favourite song is probably "Intervention" which is catchy and builds up to a nice cresendo. Just don't focus too much on the lyrics.
After a brilliant debut album, this sophomore effort was a complete letdown. I've seen Arcade Fire 4 times and not once have they played a single song fro this album. Pretty much says all you need to know about it.
Some bangers
Intervention, The Well and the Lighthouse, Antichrist Television Blues, Windowsill and No Cars Go. Alfa organ playing and good voice. A few boring parts. 2nd half is better.
45 minutes of "it's fine I guess" no cars go
Hipster butt cheeks
This is the kind of album that seems to grow on you the more you listen. Opened OK with Black Mirror, but it really caught my attention with Keep the Car Running and then kept my attention throughout the entire album. Nice range of sounds and songs. I mean, I never thought the sound of a pipe organ on any album would be something I enjoy and yet, here I am saying I enjoyed the majority of this album. I keep going back n forth from a 3.5 to a 4, but I'm going to go with the 4 because I wrote down the majority of the songs as songs I liked. This is not my typical kind of music, but somehow it worked. I can see me revisiting this album. Favorites - Keep the Car Running, Antichrist Television Blues......shoot there's not a bad song off this album. Just some were better than others. This was a pleasant surprise. Best listening experience is with the headphones! As I was preparing to type in my review, my son sent me the Foo Fighters version of Keep the Car Running. Nice! If you have the Foo Fighters a fan of your music then you must have done something right! 4
This was okay. A little on the slow side for me but there a tracks I can see myself playing again on occasion. 2
3.5 Despite being one of the most acclaimed alternative rock acts of the 2000s, this is actually my first time giving Arcade Fire a listen. My first impression was that the album ran together a bit and overall sounded pretty generic for the time period, like it wanted to be a Coldplay release, but subsequent listens really helped flesh out its charm. While it does have a very consistent sound throughout, there’s a lot of interesting things going on in the songwriting I started noticing once I had the chance to properly dial in, with the hurdy-gurdy-featuring Keep the Car Running probably being my favorite tune here (a song later covered by Foo Fighters!) and (Antichrist Television Blues) a close second, with its vilification of parents who pimp their kids out for fame and fortune being something that really stood out to me. I wish the group stuck with the original name of the song (Joe Simpson), but I get why they didn’t - probably a bit too on the nose. Overall though, I mostly liked everything I heard (the organ-driven My Body is a Cage is an incredibly strong finale), though ironically, I think my least favorite track here was Neon Bible. It’s a great album name, so it’s a bummer the title track is so uninteresting. Not an album I fell head over heels in love with, but something I enjoyed and see myself re-visiting. I know Funeral is supposedly the group’s true masterpiece, so I look forward to its inclusion on this list (assuming it made it if this album did).
3,5
Album name is very fitting. Songs all come across very gospel-like, preachy, all with a message. Whatever that message is, I'm not quite sure. It's an interesting experience, and I don't regret giving it a listen through. No song was catchy or gripping enough for me to ever listen to one of these songs again, though.
Didn't pay a ton of attention, and suspect this isn't really my genre, but I liked the organ and general operatic vibes
3.5
I definitely didn't like this one as much as Funeral when it came out, but I feel like it's aged really well honestly. Or maybe I'm different and can just appreciate it for what it is now. In either case, I dig it.
In general I would call myself a fan of Arcade Fire, but I'm not really an enthusiast of their whole discography. Neon Bible is one of those albums, that is on the lower end of the sinusoid. The record was just average, not one track caught my attention, it sounded like a blend of Coldplay and Mumford and Sons, but only average songs were fused together. A bit of a disappointment, but it is what it is.
My ears hear pop rock. Maybe it's the day, maybe who cares.
3-4
I have listened to them before and never was excited. This was pretty good though.
These guys were massive indie favorites on release, though I'm not entirely sure the album holds up as much on listening today, perhaps the hindsight view of their frontman.
2/5 Best: No Cars Go Worst: Intervention
Never was a huge fan. Still not
Arcade Fire is a classic indie band, so I was excited to get one of their albums (already heard Funeral before, so being one I hadn’t was also good). Fun fact: The Suburbs was released the day I was born. But anyway, Neon Bible is a great album, with the songs on it being amazing. I don’t have much to say, but I really enjoyed it.
son sonidos nuevos la mejor es My bodi is a cage
A great album that I enjoyed although the first few songs didn't immediately hook me, it did eventually win me over
Bit of a blur Tbh, needs another listen to judge it properly as I didn't really identify with any songs on first listen
2.5
I loved it! I find it very interesting how the television series 'Black Mirror' was inspired by the song. Probably my favourite on the album! Et le chanteur chante en français ! I like the violins. The unconventional instrumentation (organ, hurdy-gurdy and mandolin, according to Wikipedia) is also very interesting and sets Arcade Fire apart. The organ is quite clearly heard on 'Intervention'. Definite 5/5. Favourite tracks: all of them! French again on 'Black Wave/Bad Vibrations'! Excellent orchestration on 'Ocean of Noise'! The end almost sounds like jazz. 'The Well and the Lighthouse' is the song that sounds most like pop so far. Classical-influenced pop, I would say. '(Antichrist Television Blues)' seems to be dance-rock, like Franz Ferdinand or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Probably my favourite album that I have discovered through this project (aside from 'The ArchAndroid') I LOVED IT. 10/10.
Arcade Fire machen einfach gute Musik. Punkt.
Quite enjoyed, didn't blow me away but 👍
This was fine. It’s like a combo of U2 and the Bengals. At least, that’s what I heard. Never really got into this band. Probably still won’t. But I don’t hate it.
Well if there's one thing I've learned from this website it's that I'm an Arcade Fire fan. This is the 3rd Arcade Fire album I've heard on this list and I've really enjoyed all of them. For this album my favourite tracks are Keep the Car Running, (Antichrist Television Blues), and No Cars Go.
This might be pompous and overblown but it's pompous and overblown in a way that tickles my fancy. Very cohesive as an album, and with some absolute bangers. Fave tracks - "Intervention", "No Cars Go" and of course "My Body Is A Cage", even if I have a slight preference for the Peter Gabriel version...
Very hot or miss, but mostly miss
5/5. When I first had this album, I only had the first four and last four songs. Not sure if it was a computer glitch, but it was still a repeated listen for me. Knowing now many years later there were 3 more songs that add to the aesthetic and concept of the album, while also sounding great, makes me love it even more. There is not a bad song on here, one of my favorites for sure. Best song: Intervention, (Antichrist Television Blues)
I love evangelism and capitalism and the unholy marriage between the two
Music is great. Lead singer is a creep.
I'll be honest. Though I actually think they're overrated, I'm dropping an extra start because Wyn Butler turns out to be a massive, misogynist douchebag. And he's about as Canadian as July 4th.
If you are going to be pretentious, you have to be good. And these sad anthems aren't fitting that bill. Sure there are some good tracks here, and I flirted with Arcade Fire around the tie this record came out. But in the end, it's hollow and not much happening.
so boring ngl not bad, but i’ll never listen to it again actually it was kinda bad
Hey these guys are pretty cool! Neon Bible has a good sound. Kinda indie rock. Ocean of Noise is pretty. I like this album so far. Creeping up into a 4 star rating. The album was actually really great!
Not in my edition of the book! 2007. 3 stars. Came cold to this. Interesting, some good tunes in there. Points deducted for overly dramatic vocals and production which gets tiring reallll soon.
I'm not sure where I truly sit with Arcade Fire, I like a lot of their music but find if I listen for too long I get a bit bored. This is probably my second favourite of their albums after The Suburbs. Keep the Car Running and No Cars Go are two belters
3.5
Love the music, hate the lyrics. Super hipster stuff. I enjoyed Intervention though.
Band peaked 15 years ago (see YouTube live videos) when they released their first three albums. Previously rated Funeral as 5 star and The Suburbs as 4. Their second album is somewhere in between. Only really becomes strong with Intervention (except for a small dip in song 8, some weird kind of Bruce Springsteen copy song).
Funeral was good, but Neon Bible was, and still is, my favourite Arcade Fire album.
Dramatic and immersive, this totally grabs me.
Good not unlistenable.
I question the need for this album in addition to Funeral because I don’t think there’s much of a difference in tone, but that’s a well documented comment on this list. Still, it’s a good album.
This is an attempt at a "big' album, and it largely succeeds. They clearly have a lot on their minds here and the topics are weighty without being too preachy (although occasionally clunky). The music is more mainstream than Funeral - think more Bruce than Bowie. Overall, a solid, enduring work.
Not bad. A very big, orchestrated sound that feels original. Definitely has an “artsy” vibe.
Better than the other arcade fire album we heard recently but still not my taste. There was a bit broader of a sound palate here, and some songs that sounded clearly influenced by Bruce, but it’s still missing something that would make me want to come back and listen again.
Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa.
DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING the parts with an organ were ok
Pretty good actually
Neon Bible is an unfair old favorite, probably the best-paced Arcade Fire record though, I realize now, sequenced just off-perfect. I've had one listen so far in a positively evil register; That puts a different gloss on the experience. All else equal I think this is the band's best, even as I disagree.
Meh
170 albums in, this is the one I’ve heard the most. This is imo Arcade Fires best album. It’s the gothic undertones that really wins me over on this one. There really isn’t a miss on Neon Bible, it starts strong with Black Mirror and never lets up, they really are masters of the anthems. There are the obvious hits but Antichrist Television Blues is an underrated jam. Fuck you, this is gray 5 stars
That’s a lot of arena rock. Inoffensive, but it also didn’t grab me
Hipster anthems from the mid-aughts. It's a fine collection of songs. No more and no less.
I know this band is huge but I’ve never understood the appeal. This album felt like a boring soundtrack to a boring indie movie.
Solid, not their best but still good
This has made next to no impression on me. Cannot get remotely excited about this
Canadian crunk
tracks: black mirror [4] keep the car running [2.5] neon bible [3.5] intervention [4.5] black wave / bad vibrations [2] ocean of noise [2] the well and the lighthouse [3] (antichrist television blues) [3] windowsill [3] no cars go [3.5] ,my body is a cage [3] RATING : 3
Arcade Fire fans are sure dedicated to telling everyone how good they are. I more fall into telling everyone how good the solo stuff of their violin player is
These folks passed me by I'm the late 00s. Not bad but a bit generic Indie sounding. I think I've always mixed them up with Arctic Monkeys.
I enjoyed this, didn't blow me away. Had I heard when younger might have had more of an impact.
Churchy. On first listen, it felt more atmospheric and less anthemic than Funeral, but on second listen, there are a handful of bangers. I would listen again. 3 stars.
This album was fine. I didn’t think it was bad or good, just kinda not memorable. I wasn’t huge into this genre when I was younger and I don’t remember their songs.
The love for Arcade Fire feels more well deserved now that I've heard this album. While The Suburbs felt aimless & meandering, Neon Bible is far more focused. There's this consistent, delicate sound that sounds a bit like church music (but not boring choir songs a la Fleet Foxes), but the hallmarks of classic 2000's indie rock are also present. In a way, this sounds like a blueprint of the genre. I'm not head over heels in love with the album, but I genuinely enjoyed it. Standout tracks are Black Mirror, Intervention, The Well and the Lighthouse, and (Antichrist Television Blues).
This is the kind of beautiful album that belongs on the list. It has a unique sound that creates a specific atmosphere. I like the lyrics and the occasional new-wave-inspired elements. The record is very gloomy, though, so I am not sure if I will ever return to it.
I didn't really know anything about this band, other than having heard the name and the passing thought that they might be a rock band of some kind and might have played some sporting event. I've still no idea if they did that. I did read a little and saw the words "recorder", "accordion" and "hardy gurdy" and was quite hopeful. But it's all a bit, well, boring really. There are a couple of brighter moments, but the vocals are generally well hidden - which I don't like - and there's nothing particularly melodic that stands out and makes me want to dive into their back catalogue. It's not something I actively dislike, but I won't be searching this out to play again. That means it's a 3.
It was alright
Very very good
Arcade fire needs to be shot for this
Pretty good album. 2000s rock
Not the greatest. Fairly self inportant lyrics that lack variance/emotion in their delivery. Backing music is alright but nothing technically great or revolutionary.
3.5*
I don’t Like this.It’s not bad and out of respect for the fact i can tell a lot of thought and care went into it I’m giving it a 4.But I just really don’t like the sound.It’s really boring for me.Its like fake energy with weird lyrics and it’s too loud and overwhelming.The only song that really stuck with me was “my body is a cage” it had Layers and a build up and a catchy line which from the Frist Time you Hear it just Hits you with such meaning.
I don’t think I really care for arcade fire . I thought I would but it’s not really for me
Not bad!
I was excited to listen to this because for some reason I have memories of this band being real hyped up yet I’d never listened to it before. But I guess I was surprised that it was kinda meh
Idk why but to me arcade fire’s music always sounds like it’s made in a post apocalyptic society. I think its because I was reading Hunger Games back when I first listened to the Suburbs album 2.5/5
Extremely mid indie rock
I used to own this CD. Musically, I think it's like 4½, but lyrically, I just wasn't always in the mood for it. So I'll call it 3½.
I've listened to this one and "The Suburbs" a few times and I would say I like this one a little more. Probably my favorite track is "(Antichrist Television Blues)", I like the abrupt ending. It's very off-putting, and unexpected. I also liked "Black Wave / Bad Vibrations", that worked pretty well, too. I don't think they've got me as a fan yet, but I did enjoy this album. And the fact that I came back to give it a second listen says something, I had to hear it again to make a decision on it. A lot of music has been pretty polarizing, but this was a bit tougher. It's probably good for me to give these a deeper listen sometimes...
This is the third Arcade Fire album I've heard on this list (I knew it was coming) and it's my least favorite. Still, it's solid. It opens real well - I like Black Mirror and Keep the Car Running is very good (it feels very multi-layered in instruments and they blend well). The title track is a bit of a letdown but Intervention might be the best song on the whole album - cool organ and haunting church sound (more of that soaring, multi-layered sound but different sound than earlier). It does the haunting church sound better than My Body is a Cage (which is popular with the kids because it was used in Euphoria), though the lyrics on that closer are pretty darn good. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations is a bit up and down - start is a bit meh but it gets really good about 90s in when Butler takes over lead vocals and Chassagne takes on kickass backing & harmony. The Well and the Lighthouse is another great track in the middle of the album - love the pulsing tempo. Windowsill is another soaring track that I really enjoyed. No Cars Go is another solid, up-tempo track but maybe my least favorite of the album's singles (a little overproduced?). Again, even though it is my least favorite of their big three albums, it's still quite good.
This whole thing made me feel like if I was levitating, it starts really nice, although through the middle I felt a little less interesing, the last two songs are amazing, espeacially "No cars go", literally my favorite song on the album. Really loved the whole atmosphere that this album have, and the concept it manages, I enjoyed this, beside the few skippable songs.
ikkje da besta arcade fire albumet, men fortsatt ganske bra
Da e kje heilt for meg
Does anyone else feel that the vocals sometimes resemble a rockabilly style? Or is it just my broken ears? Anyway, if I were king of the world, my first law would be the banning of all personal motorized vehicles.
8/10. A bit on the edgy side, but I quite liked this.
I will always think of Arcade Fire as critic bait but I enjoyed most of this album. 7/10
I liked this album more than Funeral, but I’ve determined that I’m just not drawn to this music. It has its positives: it’s got that indie soft to rocking buildup, the harmonizations are key, and it has creative inspirations. However, it just doesn’t connect for me. Perhaps the ideas are too large and just don’t land. They have a very large sound that just gets too messy. No Cars Go was a great late album addition. More songs like this please.
Eh
Muy repetitivo y sentí q muchas veces las melodías no pegaban con la letra y no tenía mucho sentido, entonces no es de mi agrado
This is another one that's good and I think was probably really influential but it's not moving me in any crazy type of way
There's some really great things in here that make me want to like them, but I saw them perform live on SNL a few years back and that really killed it for me. The sounds are blended well and there is lots of thought put in, but I think they're missing some raw singing prowess in many places.
The fact that they renovated a church to record this makes it that much better. I love their sound, I’ve only listened to funeral and now this album and I’m gonna have to check more out. Solid 3.5 but I can’t round up today
Funeral and The Suburbs are two of my favorite albums, but I’ve never given this one a go. Hopefully it’s good. Black Mirror - 5. Keep the Car Running - 4. Neon Bible - 4. Intervention - 4. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations - 4. Ocean of Noise - 4. The Well and the Lighthouse - 4. (Antichrist Television Blues) - 3. Windowsill - 3. No Cars Go - 5. My Body Is a Cage - 5. No Cars Go is on Arcade Fire EP, which I’ve listened to for years, so it was the only song I knew. Oddly enough, that EP came out in 2003 and this album came out in 2007. It’s interesting that they tossed it on this album after so many years. Black Mirror quickly became one of my favorite Arcade Fire songs. Thank you generator.
Of the three I've now heard, Funeral is still my #1. This one lacked the punch.
Ehhh If you like pretentious,pompous, bland,boring,unimaginative, uncreative mediocre indie rock then you'll love it.
I know Arcade Fire are part of the Indie “beloved” but they just don’t ignite my interest. Keep the Car Running and No Cars Go are good. I guess I like their car themed songs.
I've listened to the album alot since it came out. It's pretty amazing.
Arcade Fire is another band that I think I should know more than I do. I have heard this album before, and I listened to it again and still enjoyed it. I don't quite love it, but I like it a lot.
I’m a fan of Arcade Fire, but I had not listened to the album straight through. I heard a few familiar songs and really liked it as a whole.
Pretty good stuff here
Very indie/punk. Not something I find on my own. Im not disliking it, but I haven’t heard a song that I want to listen to again.
Had some hope that this might be better than ‘Funeral’ after the first couple of songs. Newsflash: it’s not. It’s as pretentious, overdone, dramatic and whiny as ‘Funeral’ if not more. It’s a hard pass from me.
Not a personal favorite, but I didn’t dislike any one element. I quite enjoyed the use of the organ and it felt like it played with distance in an interesting way, it just happens to be a sound I’m not searching for at the moment.
Just okay
Interesting coincidental juxtaposition: I played this immediately after Joy Division's 'Unknown Pleasures' and they could be the same band 28 years later. Obviously time has moved on, so the production is different and slicker, as is the musicianship, but the themes, melodic structures and lyrics all fit. If you like one, you'll definitely like the other - and I do.
Meh. Will forever be remembered as the song (not album) that opened U2's indoor "Elevation Tour" concerts. The band got lucky...
I've only heard of Arcade Fire in passing but I've never sat down to listen to an album. I really like it though!
Sorta forgetable
Great album.
fav song- my body is a cage
Album 3 from Arcade Fire... and I think I kind of get it. Early on in this record, I mentally drew a comparison to U2's grandiosity. It's aiming for the cheap seats in the arena, and much like U2, I think it's all pomp and no circumstance, to turn a phrase. It's fine, and I appreciate the varied instrumentation on this record, but it's all just so... pretentious. Favorite tracks: "Black Wave / Bad Vibrations", "No Cars Go"
Un muy buen disco, letras interesantes que ponen en perspectiva aspectos curiosos de unas generaciones anteriores a la mia. Una voz muy similar a la de the cure, un sonido de post punk o indie punk en cierto aspecto (genero que no se si existe). Un disco que ademas tiene arreglos electrónicos fantásticos y la hace mantenerse a flote con lo que presenta. Le daría un diez, pero la falta de originalidad en algunas letras y la poca profundizacion en algunos temas, hace que se queden cortos y ni que hablar de la forma en la que los arreglos se colocan algunas veces. Independientemente, es un disco digno de reescucha e ilusiona de lo que puede ser una gran banda 8,50/10
I’m continuing to enjoy my voyages with Arcade Fire. This has such an interesting sound.
It seems that I am in like with Arcade Fire.
It's fine. I appreciate that it was recorded in a refurbished church. Love the pipe organ. It's interesting lyrically. But musically it mostly left me cold. I'm not going to rush to hear any of it again.
This is the album where I first took note of Arcade Fire. I love its bombast. The first time I saw Arcade Fire perform was in support of this album and the songs were great live. Love this album!
Never really dug into this one. I thought most people wrote it off as not as good as their debut. After listening a few times, I don’t think my mind changed on it, but it is better than I thought. Its fine, but its not an album I would seek out.
Hard to be unbiased when I've already heard and liked the album, but it's a great one in my opinion!
Atmospheric and accessible. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Black Mirror Date listened: 29/03/23
I couldn't finish it. I found it non-descript and, frankly, not worth the effort.
According to my stats, I listened to this album quite a bit between 2009-2011 and then just stopped listening to it and didn't play a single song from it since then. I have no idea why. The songs all came back after listening to them a few seconds. Definitely should put Arcade Fire back into the rotation.
Meh
I’ve seen these guys described as grandiose and overblown. That is obviously my vibe because I am loving this. I’d heard all the singles before and really enjoyed them. But how I really discovered them was a couple of years after this album was released, when I heard Peter Gabriel‘s cover of ‘my body is a cage’, which I thought was hauntingly beautiful. I put it on repeat for days. Then I sought out the original, finding out that it was Arcade Fire and from this album. I still think their version is fabulous, but PG takes the biscuit in grandiose. Those violins cut me to my core. And any song that can make me simultaneously sing, cry and dance at 6:30 in the morning is a masterpiece. Both versions have this ability. As for the remainder of the album, there is a dark undercurrent of literary allusion and narrative storytelling that is quite compelling. It’s complemented by the timbre of Win Butler’s voice which conveys real passion and infuses every song with the emotional quality of dystopian poetry. Coupled with those hypnotic melodies its place on this list is well-deserved. All I want now: Set my spirit free Set my body free Etc etc
This album sounds like a fuzzier, lo-fi version of the Black Keys album Brothers. The songs on this album also reminded me at times of lord Huron
I was all over the map on this one. I listened to much of this in fits and starts and was not feeling the same about the material on every listen. I still wasn't able to give the entire album one extended listen from start to finish in one sitting, but I did listen to the entire thing (more than once) and am strangely unsure what to say about it. There were moments when I was put off by the explosive emotion that seemed to engulf the band and singer, but then I'd be equally impressed and moved by many passages, and really appreciated the cinematic scope of the compositions and performances. I'll chalk this one up to being an excellent choice for this endeavor, because I would have likely bailed on listening to more than a song or two if I had just stumbled upon it, but as part of this project, I am compelled to listen to the entire album, and found myself liking it more and more the more I listened. A 4 may be a little bit skewed for adjusting for my prejudices, but I thought this was very expressive and massive in spots, and deserving of a score that spoke to how much I liked the parts that were awesome.
Had a really hard time caring about this one. As I listened, I kept wishing I was listening to other albums, including the first Arcade Fire joint, which is much better, IMO. More interesting. Better produced. So, this one: a whole lotta meh.
Bland indie band that sounded like nothing but also like mid 2000s bland indie bands. Sylvia and I gave this a go in a car ride while our conversation was engaging so maybe my focus was lacking? But we would come back to the music and chat about it during the listen and he looked forward to spinning Beyoncé after we powered through.
Never listened to this album in entirety before today. Will listen again.
Fire!
I found it pretty enjoyable but not revolutionary. Definitely captures a certain alt/indie vibe.
Definitely a grower from the perspective of thinking the pattern is overstretched, too much of the same architecture, nourishing from the evermore feeling of despair and death and oh! We know this band so well. No surprises, solid songs in the beginning which may at some point transform into monsters, cathedralic ones. The consistency and fidelity these guys‘n‘girls know what they can do best finally ignited my own faith that we’re listening a great record, here. Would‘ve thought it‘ll be lower but: 3.6
Lead singer is not a good person but if we separate the art from the artist, this album is perfect. They recorded most of it in a church and the sounds of the pipe organ juxtaposed to cautious lyrics about religion is executed brilliantly. It’s the best Canadian album about how fucked up America is.
cool
Highlights: No Cars Go, My Body Is a Cage
Hihglights: "My body is a cage" & "Intervention"
This album inexplicably sounds like it was made by someone who grew up heavily listening to Springsteen AND Echo and the Bunnymen. Somehow it works and I kind of love it. Fave Songs: The Well and the Lighthouse, Windowsill, (Antichrist Television Blues), Black Mirror, Intervention, Keep the Car Running
Great album
Like the arcade fire. pretty consistent.
Not as good as the hype for the band
Far better than I thought it would be. The album needs better separation of vocals and instruments plus they could have been louder.
Yeah it's okay
Not bad but having listened to it 12 hours ago, nothing is sticking with me
Pretty enjoyable rock album. I really like the composition of the songs. The organ, orchestral, and piano parts are very cool.
Great album!
Love Arcade Fire. Love the use of the organ throughout this. A great listen.
Jedan od njihovih bezveznijih
Great album. Always a sucker for a concept album and this one does not disappoint. Only 4 because there are arcade fire albums I like better
All normal edgelord Indie themes aside, there is some really nice music on this album. Arcade Fire do not fall into the trap of "having your lyricist sing poorly on purpose," so they get some marks up in my book for that too. Favorite track: The Well and the Lighthouse
Another "meh" album in my opinion.
The list actually has Arcade Fire's first album, Funeral as the one to listen to. Unclear why Neon Bible is included on the list... Regardless, I am familiar with both. Funeral and Neon Bible both are 5/5. NB marks the tipping point to the steep decline of interest in their output as every subsequent release was vastly subpar compared to these two albums.
Wel okee
I thought for sure I'd love this but nope. It's a bit whiney and I don't know what anyone is saying. And every song makes me think, "Is this the one from the Apple commercial"? I even listened to this a few times. This should be right up my ally b/c I liked this era of music (discovered it a little late as school took up a lot of my time). Maybe I should give it a fourth try.
Brilliant, 4.5.
Black Mirror is a great opening track and the indie punk sound reminds me of my uni years. Nice drums but the angular guitar parts get a bit repetitive halfway through the album. nice vibe to listen to while walking, or to use in a hipster indie film
This is great. Win Butler may be an arsehole (and some) but there's no denying AF's 2000's output
Muito bom, amei as letras!!! Minhas favs: Intervention ♥ My Body Is a Cage ♥ (Antichrist Television Blues) Windowsill The Well and the Lighthouse
Some decent moments but overall not my thing
i thought this was alright. definitely nothing too crazy but i did really enjoy the final track. fun for one listen but probably wont revisit
Vau, excited buvau, kad Arcade Fire, bet nesuzavejo
Great album. 4/5
Quality tunes, always takes my to a time and place
Fantastisch album.
it's been a while since i've heard some of these overplayed singles. never really a fan of arcade fires schtick anyway so by the 3rd album i'm particularly bored of it.
Not the best of theirs, but a million miles better than anything The 1975, 50 Cent, Cilla Black or Scott Kelly have ever done.
quite ok, but nothing special....
Used to listen to this album quite a bit, still good. Best use of gigantic organ sound? Probably.
A great album from a great band with great songs and great music and a great album cover YOU'RE WELCOME
6/10 eh
I find it cool how the song titles really fit the whole vibe of the songs.
there’s something great about this record but there’s something i don’t like about it, i do t really get it, it seems fake even though i believe the band is sincere
Not my music, too simple
This kind of indie can get cheesy and nauseatingly sentimental, but I did like this album a good amount. I enjoyed it on first listen better than their more popular album. I used to like this kinda stuff my freshman year of college. When it comes to indie rock my favorite is probably the Shins; their first album deserves to be on this list.
Enjoyed it!
Arcade Fire is one of my favorite bands of the past 20 years. I’d rank Funeral and The Suburbs ahead of this but this is still an incredible album. Easy 9/10 for me and one I revisit plenty.
Hadn't heard this before and liked it well enough, but I never felt anything in the music that would have pushed my evaluation above just average on the list.
it’s fine
Very boring and basic
2/13- Driving to school Prime Arcade Fire, lyricism and concepts don’t match to The Suburbs and the style isn’t as engaging either, but still a good album with a lot of fun songs and relatable lyrics.
This is music? Really? It's the most boring music I have ever heard.
First time I've listened to an Arcade Fire album since the revelations about Win Butler. Has really changed how I hear them. The songs are great but the emotional response I had to them has gone. Really sad about it.
Ehhhhhh
Not there best, a lot of this sounded the same to me
I forgot this album existed but it slaps
medium dark timbered indie pop goodness with an echo-y cathedral aesthetic
I don't think I get the appeal. There are a couple of songs I enjoyed (Ocean of Noise, The Well and the Lighthouse, My Body is a Cage) but overall it seems pretty bland to me. Moreover, when I look through the tracklist it seems that the album starts really slowly and the songs at the front are not nearly as good as the second half of the album, which probably impacts my overall sentiment. I enjoy the instrumentals, especially considering that the band is full of multinstrumentalists. Especially like the organs on the last track. I didn't get trhough the lyrics too much - they're a bit too complex and poetic for me as a non-native speaker to dig through over one day. I don't know why but I get a feeling that these guys are a bit pretentious though? Not sure if this is right, just a feeling. Still, it is a good album but does not match the hype for me. 3.5/5
One of the better late 2000s indie rock albums I've heard. I like the use of the organ and the string instruments
Niceee indierock, indflydelsesrigt
I can't be objective about this band. This should probably be a 4, but I look at a lot of the other 4s I've given out and this is better than that, so... Best track: Depends on my mood. Today I'll go with Windowsill
Actually pretty good.
This album was a nice surprise - for some reason I haven't heard it before. The only reason I don't give it five start is that there often is too much sound. Reminds me a bit of Phil Spector and his wall of sound. Fire stjerner
Man, this really is just an "Ocean of Noise", huh? Really not good, and the addition of a member being an assaulter? Man, easy to hate this. It's pretty funny that this bad mix of Mumford & Sons and Modest Mouse is on here three times, yet nothing by either is on here. Not that I'm dying for Mumford & Sons to be on here, but all this feels like to me is indie rock with too much of a budget.
I thought it was good, I like the sound, the organ is quite a choice... why is it on the list though, I mean, how many Arcade Fire albums could possibly be on this list?
Starts off strong with "Black Mirror," but as it goes on, it sounds more and more like some kind of Off-Broadway musical. The melodrama of it is exhausting.
This came out my sophmore year of college so maybe a bit blinded by that, but it's another great cinematic-indie album by Arcade Fire. You can tell they love what they are doing and I generally like the vocal stylings of the singer.
3.5 for me, not my favorite by Arcade Fire but still something I'll put on from time to time.
A bit of an oasis during the doldrums of the mid-2000s. I would have gone with Funeral over this album (maybe we’ll see it) since that’s when AF first emerged and gave us a taste of that Montréal sound. Still an album with a few great tracks. A strong ⭐️⭐️⭐️s
3.5/5
I've listened to this album a lot since first seeing it come up on here. I don't think I've ever listened before purposefully and I absolutely love it. Black Mirror what a strong start. Absolutely love that they bought a church and converted it to record in. I only regret that I haven't had time to dive into the lyrics and include that in my review but I love the sounds and I think the fact that I keep listening says it all.
Ah well Arcade Fire rarely disappoint and this was no exception. They stay pretty on brand I always think, you know what you're getting it's never left field and I do really like it. Epic instrumental grandeur
A hoot!
Great memories of fhis album. Could be 4.5.
Cool album cover... I liked this record quite a bit.
Forgot about this band- great stuff, really like the vibes
I feel like I might have heard a lot of these songs too many times and this album didn't grab me in the way The Suburbs did, but you can't deny that it's a good album.
I already rated this album, weird that I got it again when I joined the group. Either way this is not my favourite Arcade Fire album. There's some good tracks on it, but it's not very remarkable imo Saved songs: My Body Is a Cage, Black Wave/Bad Vibrations, Windowsill
Super clean production appropriate for coffee shop sound systems or the moody segments of Grey’s Anatomy.
Great album! It was full of some surprises! I love the indie feeling of the album!
oh, wow. i really liked this! neon bible was beautiful, especially whenever unusual instruments popped up. "my body is a cage" utilizing the organ took the album's end to such heights. the lyrics can be moody (typical of indie music in the aughts!) but heartfelt. the album's theme was an interesting focus; i'm not sure if there's another album that covers television preachers like this. "neon bible" and "(antichrist television blues)" drive arcade fire's point home. if the album is to have any weakness, most songs do blend into one another. but i find it hard to mind when the album is breathtaking. i struggled to write this review, but i didn't mind listening to this album over and over.
This album was okay. While I generally like indie, and indie of this sort, it can sometimes kind of blend into one sort of grey "sound" -- unfortunately, this album did that, and it kept it from really standing out. That said, "No Cars Go" and "My Body is a Cage" are both superior indie songs of the 2000s and deserve recognition.
Pretentious music
Superb - I've loved this since it came out. It sounds like the soundtrack to a brilliant film.
Favorite song: No Cars Go
It's a shame that Win Butler turned out to be a bad guy, but I try to separate the artist from the art. I still distinctly remember the first time Arcade Fire showed up on my radar. I was watching Later with Jools Holland, must have been 2005, and suddenly there's this big group that looked like a bunch of nerdy high school band kids and they started playing this majestic cacophony of beautiful, chaotic music. It blew me away. Neon Bible is one of their best albums, along with the other two of their first three albums. It's just so unique and yet so listenable. 5 stars.
Completely average. Nothing spoke out but nothing was awful. I just don’t understand what’s “influential” about it? It just seems like another album.
I have tried for years with this album and this band - I wish I could figure out or better-explain why it is I don't like this, or them. I tried again this morning and I wanted to dig something specific out but I just can't - I think there's a lot around the rotten and muddy mix* where I can't really hear the individual instruments very well, perhaps a great dose of the overly-faux-eager but not very good vocals that irritate me, or just that I don't connect with any of the songs whatsoever. I could see how one could make the case of this being this grandiose album but I hear it as utterly overblown and overwrought pablum. * (this mix feels like it's by design - a soundscape to perhaps give an effect or mood rather than focus on any particular part; frankly it sounds like there's a pillow over every microphone giving a "soft" feel to it all. If so, ok that's art of course - but to me it's terribly distracting and puts a dull cloud over it all. Not sure if I'd like it more with a clear distinct sound but it wouldn't hurt.) It's not ... horrible; I've heard a lot that I like considerably less, but it is a chore to get through. Flat-out I think this experiment can end without any grand proclamation, other than I just don't enjoy or like Arcade Fire. 3/10 2 stars.
decent, super heavy on Christianism though, which might've repulsed me a bit. Reminds me of those rich Evangelists in super churches à la the ones in "The Righteous Gemstones" 3/5
Solid indie rock album. Takes me back.
Það er svo sérstakur fílingur sem Arcade Fire bjóða upp á. Mig langar kannski helst að kalla þetta draumkennt popp. Fíla það!
Enjoyable. A couple of songs on the second half - Ocean of Noise especially - were reallyyyyy great.
Really great album. Solid tunes I could listen to on repeat. Win Butler sucks, though.
Not my favorite af album
Mesmo não sendo um ouvinte regular da banda, consegui reconhecer a marca da banda ao apresentar durante o disco o clima intenso com alternância do ritmo das músicas.
First of all, Win Butler seems to be a shitty person. Apparently that's just how it is. Probably not in my top three Arcade Fire albums, Neon Bible is still an impressive record. Desperation, catchy tunes and unorthodox instrumentations all blended together in a shaker of solid songwriting. The highlights are plenty and the focus on religion and television is interesting. And, like I know that Montreal is close to the border, but I've always wondered why Arcade Fire has so many diss tracks aimed at USA. I mean, it's pretty weird to spend that much time singing about how awful another country is. But I dig it. 'Keep The Car Running', 'Intervention', 'Ocean of Noise', 'No Cars Go' and 'My Body Is A Cage' are all impeccable. The terrifying crescendo on the latter to close out the album is stunning. But there are also more forgettable songs, and I am not quite as emotionally invested in this one as in some of their other work. I will save my 5/5 for later.
Apparently, Win Butler shares the same feelings towards the USA as he does consent. That being said, Neon Bible is an incredibly strong record that showcases almost everything that makes Arcade Fire a great band. I’m not hooked on “Black Mirror” but soon after the album really takes off and with the exception of the Régine Chassagne-led part of “Black Wave/Bad Vibrations” (a part I actively dislike) the band almost hits just around the mark. Especially the grandiose “Intervention”, “Ocean of Noise”, the closing “My Body Is a Cage” and of course the song that inspired White Lies to write their entire discography, “No Cars Go”, are extremely well written and shows just why Arcade Fire receives the praise they do.
Arcade Fire are a band at the front and centre of the appalling, dismal state of music in the early 2000s. This album, coming in around 2007, does not do anything positive towards shedding that early-2000s plague of pompous overindulgence. It's ostentatious, pretentious and generally not pleasurable to listen to. I straight up don't enjoy it.
Pretty awesome indie rock.
Listenable