Neon Bible

Neon bible?! How about Neon Babble. The music is sonically fine and I can see why it was influential in creating the stomp/clap music like Mumford and Sons... or more like Blandford and Sons! I digress... But the lyrics on this album are just unbelievably cringy. Like, embarrassingly bad. I only made it to Black Wave/Vibrations before I just couldn't do it anymore. They sound like 15 year old trying to be clever but missing the mark. I would give this 0 stars if I could because of how bad the lyrics are. Would not listen again. Two thumbs down.

Listened while I did admin work…. It was so uncaptivating that I didn’t realize the album had ended and restarted.

Pretentious, repetitive, faux intellectual drivel

Dull Dull Dull

Just very dull! Couldn't finish.

Lol no way

Imagine dragons type shiii boring as fuck

Yawn. Next album, please.

1. Black Mirror: lots of paranoia, the overall feeling of being watched. The takeover of screens and the dependence on them is going to take over completely. Nobody can run away from it; the mirrors are everywhere and increasing as this was released in '07. This relates directly to the mass surveillance in the US, along with the rise of fascism and AI. This being the start, it paints a heavy and moody album ahead with outward dark themes. 2. Keep the Car Running: the Orwellian influence is so apparent, I think it was inspired by Why I Write and 1984, themes of dystopia and the political culture. The idea of patriotism and intelligence, the balance or everything crumbles. Thus far, I am not super into the drums and guitar here - it is very folk-indie, and it doesn't quite match. Like the ukulele here? Not sure. 3. Neon Bible: dealing with religion and culture, again inspired by a book - A Confederacy of Dunces. I do enjoy the critical view of holiness in the greed and corruption of politics/general culture. I don't love this track. Honestly, this album is giving "I'm so much morally better than you, and you should listen to my wisdom after I read some books that made me think." I don't know if that's justified, but that's how I feel. 4. Intervention: talking about the War on Terrorism and criticizing the politicians for lying and continuing to push everyone else down. The haunting patriotism and the chimes, consistent beating drums feel like an army instrumental. "Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home." The trauma that soldiers face when they come back, the inability to reintegrate into society. For what? For their life to fall apart under the name of "God"? "Been working for the Church while your life falls apart" -- all of this disaster and tragedies under the name of the State, which claims to be serving God. 5. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations: a reference to "Good Vibrations" about creating a new self and future. "Ce sera un long voyage sur les vagues de l'oubli." When Win Butler comes in, it kinda destroys what was built in the beginning. Also, talking about eating in the ghetto with an expensive plate... didn't land with me. I get the sentiment, but it could've been worded differently IMO. I like the outro a lot. Buildup is great on this song. 6. Ocean of Noise: this song is hitting another symbol apparent in this album of the ocean as a lack of control in life. The noise here is consumerism and propaganda. Especially nowadays, people get lost in their tailored feeds and fake news. They are lost in the noise of the internet, and we opened Pandora's Box, especially with AI. I am haunted by how closely this ties to how I feel about the state of the world currently. The piano is super heavy and sonically consequential feeling. The end feels like accepting the chaos of life and the massive ocean that we all exist in. "Time to work it out," along with strings/horns that feel more upbeat and light. Optimistic ending. 7. The Well and the Lighthouse: about a person who made decisions leading to ruin, following malice because of their poor decisions. I'm not sure what this track is doing on this album? "You always fall for what you desire or what you fear" is an interesting lyric here before the switch-up of rhythm/melody. The strings are so beautiful in this switch-up. I'm confused about this one and the message behind it, maybe I'm missing something... 8. [Antichrist Television Blues]: this song is inspired by Joe Simpson using his daughter Jessica Simpson, increasingly worse abuse. Super creepy reality of her horrible trauma with her father. Sacrificing his daughter and her well-being for fame and fortune under the guise of the Lord. The reference to the mockingbird lullaby is so gross, and fits how her father justified his actions. There are heavy biblical references, I am not well-versed enough to point them all out. The end is abrupt as fuck. 9. Windowsill: carrying potential pain from living with the singer's father, metaphorical or not, it could also be about the beliefs that the family held. "I don't wanna fight in a holy war"; "I don't wanna live in America anymore" - the way this is still the feeling almost 20 years later. The impact of TV and media, along with consumerism and propaganda, takes away his view from his windowsill (the way he perceives the world?). The message on this song captures exactly how I've been feeling about the world, anticipating another world war, and the incessant ads/propaganda fed to us. 10. No Cars Go: very big shift in energy from the last one. This is upbeat and joyous, I love the drums and guitar riff on this. I think the "heys" could've been left out, kinda reminds me of the Lumineers lol. I do enjoy the lyrics about knowing a place where you can truly escape the corruption and terrors of the world today. I'm wondering if that place is sleep, a place where the luxuries of civilization are obsolete. Lyrics are so basic and kinda don't have much substance in my opinion. I agree with a comment on Genius that a 12-year-old could've written these lyrics... This song dragged on for way too fucking long. I was cringing the last few minutes, I had a hard time sitting through it. 11. My Body is a Cage: drum beat reminds me of a pulse, pipes are haunting, and that organ is too. This song delves into the mental struggles of anxiety and the mind holding one back from their potential/what would make them happy. I think I've heard this one in Euphoria, and it was such a heavy song that fit well. This song is relatable as someone with extreme mental health issues. I feel like the music builds to an anxiety attack or total shutdown. I don't feel strongly about this album. I get what they were going for, but it just gives a false higher morality vibe, and that contradicts all the messages in the song. It doesn't flow through super well, and I just think it's alright. I would not listen again. He just kinda cringes me out, icky vibes from him. Turns out he's a creep!

reddit

MEh

2/10

This album was so unenjoyable that it caused me to temporarily abandon this project after over a year of consistent listening. I always try to listen through the whole album, but I just have to give this one star and move on

🙈

I hate Arcade Fire

1 stern

Boring

If they’re giving out awards for “most overrated band”, these guys are up there along with U2 and Coldplay. This is a finely polished turd

whole lotta yapping. like shut up brother

Too much drama

There is nothing new here, I see no value in this record.

One album you mustn't listen to. Absolute crap.

Sounds like Imagine Dragons if they were a Christian Rock band

"Arcade Fire - I liked their album that came up earlier. I wonder why I'm finding this one kinda boring and annoying...". {checks review of Funeral} "Oh. Never mind".

This was another band that passed me by in the early 2000s for some reason. Initial impressions were that this was by the numbers indie rock with a heavy Coldplay influence, but as it went on it grew more irritating. They threw what sounded like a choir of children into the mix but it was the singer’s voice that had a wheedling ‘please feel some emotions’ vibe to it. Anyhoo, turns out he’s a massive online sex pest, so this album can get in the bin.

Fairly convinced I'm not going to like this. Sounds like a bunch of hipster church kids formed a band. Someone take that bell away from the kid.

Terrible cover artwork. And I find this sort of thing a bit tiresome. Sounds like indie-by-numbers, mashing together all the 'best' bits of various other bands. It feels calculated and empty. Throw that into the new world where not only has every band that every existed reformed and gone on a reunion tour, but at least one member of any given band will have a skeleton that will pop out of its closet at some point and it's hard to just enjoy this as music, given that backdrop, whether true or not.

Chirst. I fucking hate this indie shite.

Nah.

Just not for me.

Boring!

not my fave

I can find no reason to recommend this to anyone.

I feel like Jean Girard after watching Highlander. I continue to be baffled by the hype around this band. So far it's the best album I've heard from Arcade Fire. It's like Bruce Springsteen but bad, boring and forced through a 2000s hipster filter.

Yuk!!!

Not good

3.67 rym indie di merda 1/5

overblown, pseudo-dramatic, like a goth ELO, with hints of U2 and occasional nursery rhyme melodies.

Mmh

Wasn’t a fan of their style

What a load of crap.

Terrible

I used to love them but after learning he’s a d*ck and part of the Me Too problem o can’t support that

That was bad, like terrible. I hit play... Skip... Skip... Skip... And stop... No thank you.

Horrible and uninteresting.

Denso, aburrido y pretencioso.

Not For Me...

The music was OK but the lyrics were disgraceful

I like Ocean of Noise. The rest of the album just feels like an ocean of noise

Black Mirror sets the tone with a real pop vibe - something I'm not a fan of. Kept the car running - Happy Clappy crap. Neon Bible - slow and ok Intervention - dreadful It drones on and on, track by track, in the same vein. Not for me. It's a 1 star

Black Mirror: 4/10 mid Keep the Car Running: 6/10 best song ig Neon Bible: 4/10 Intervention: 3/10 what is happening here Black Wave / Bad Vibrations: 5/10 Ocean of Noise: 5/10 The Well and the Lighthouse: /10 (Antichrist Television Blues): /10 Windowsill: /10 No Cars Go: /10 My Body Is a Cage: /10

Do they want to be Bowie or Springsteen? Can see this album being the soundtrack of an angsty teen movie. Over the top and not enjoyable.

Nothing Bible.

bok gibi

No thanks.

Nix für mich

Not for me.

Annoying voice, sry

Day24 - i’ve heard of arcade fire but not their music and it’s not for me. every generation has their moody music but this is pretty terrible

I hated it. I’ve had a terrible run these first 4 days haha

sexual abuser

Not a fan at all. The singing comes off monotone and the music behind it never catches me. It quickly became background noise

Not my taste

kacke

extra boring U2

Aww...C'mon! I call bullshit. I have to question the validity of this list when we've had two Arcade Fire albums in two weeks, but nothing from Fugazi, The Minutemen, Dinosaur Jr., etc. Do better, Album Generator. Do Better.

Eh

I have tried to like Arcade Fire for years, but it still has never resonated with me.

Big miss for me. I am typically not into the whiney singer sound, and this album had it in spades. Alot of the sounds were... i dont know generic? I zoned out most of the album. I do like My Body is a Cage, but thats about it.

it's giving cold hotdog water, but the album flows alright

💩. Lyrics sound like they were wrote by a 7th grader trying to write above their skill level. Sometimes a female vocalist sings and it's okay.

Boring

No thanks!

The rare all skips album. Full of songs I would take as an opportunity to use the bathroom at a concert. Every song has at least one motif that bugged me. Like the same three notes on a chime at the end of every like. Perfect for walking at midnight after a middle school breakup

Not for me. Wasn’t expecting them to sound like that however. Still wanted the album to be over for the last 3/4 of it.

Despite being relatively recent, there wasn't much in here that I liked or felt was truly original. This album could have been from "U2" and I wouldn't have guessed any differently. First because it has a religious theme and secondly because there is a lot of borrowing going on in here. Without surprise this band came to relevance from being front-runners for U2. I have a fear that this list will be a bit too america-centric. There are some genres which hold a lot more importance to the north american audience (e.g. country) which will earn them positions on this list without being a musical novelty. Similarly there is a marketing issue of north americans waking up to a style only once it has been done by a north american band. I feel that's the case here.

Listened to 1/2 Not into the indie-style

Wynn Butler sucks. Next.

piss

1. black mirror - 1 2. keep the care running - 1 3. neon bible - 1 4. intervention - 1 5. black uuave - 1 6. ocean of noize - 1.5 7. the uuall and the lighthouze - 1.5 8 antichrizt - 1 9.uuindouzill - 1 10. no carz go - 1 11. my body iz a cage - 1

Durge

Pish

Ach, das sind Arcade Fire? Will ich nie wieder hören müssen.

Sucks balls

Dreary, tiresome dirge-pop. Use your time more productively by cleaning your shower out.

Shittiest band on earth makes a perfect soundtrack to wish to die faster

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.

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.

Arcade fire needs to be shot for this

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.

Meh. Will forever be remembered as the song (not album) that opened U2's indoor "Elevation Tour" concerts. The band got lucky...

Sorta forgetable

Not my music, too simple

This is music? Really? It's the most boring music I have ever heard.

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.

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.

Nah

Technically terrific album. Plenty of talent and a great sound. But I'm a no. I'll side with against this-- again. https://www.mcgilldaily.com/2022/11/a-reckoning-within-the-arcade-fire-fandom/

Abuser. Whiner. Did not listen.

Fucking corny

this isn't even in the top 1000 albums of the 00s