Neon Bible

To be honest, I might have heard some of this at the time and it still would have passed me by. It feels like the sort of stuff that has probably been used as snippets in adverts for mid-range family cars or package holidays. Nothing wrong with it, good production values, but essentially Teflon for me.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Good composition and interesting use of instrumentation. No song was what I expected. The energy flow was enjoyable. The kind of album you can turn on and listen to all the way through. I loved "Intervention." "Windosill" hit really hard. "No Cars Go" made me cry. I'll be honest, I had a really tough day when I heard this. This album was both cathartic and comfort. Really needed to hear this one. Will listen again.

Highlights: Keep The Car Running, Black Wave / Bad Vibrations, No Cars Go and My Body Is A Cage. 3.8

Well it sure was 2007 huh. To me, there are a lot of bands that sound like this and frankly sound better. I didn’t know any of these songs going in and I do not feel the need to hear them again. It was fine. Season: True Autumn Favorite Song: Windowsill

I love "No Cars Go," but can't say I'm a huge fan of the rest of the album. Definitely a unique sound, but most of the songs just aren't doing it for me.

This one is tough for me. Arcade Fire was played a lot when I was younger. But why does Win Butler have to suck so bad? 3.5

I want to like arcade fire but there's not enough here for me

Droning

nothing notable honestly, did not hate the listen but probably will not return to it

I think I’ve only heard Arctic Monkeys mixed in with pop radio. For whatever reason I associated them with a brighter, happier tone. This is sadder album that maintains its momentum through sheer force of will, and some driving beats. The composition is solid and it left me wanting to know more about the band. I’ll have to give this one a few relistens. Keep The Car Running Intervention No Cars Go

Didn’t like this at all. God knows why I’m having to endure a second Arcade Fire album. I wanted to give this a two, and point out that everything is done competently but the longer it went on the more it infuriated me. For me, it’s insulting that this is placed on the list next to some records that are in different leagues. I’m sure that can be said about a lot of albums here too. Maybe I’m just not receptive to it today, but I’ve got to be honest with myself and in approaching this list.

There were some good tracks and a few that were not as good. Solid, middle of the road, 3 stars

It was so fucking good, they do so much good work.

I really wanted to like this album now and when it came out, but upon relistening to it, I found that Neon Bible was just passable.

I found this very boring, didn't want to listen to songs all the way through. Got to "(Antichrist Television Blues)" which sounded like a Springsteen ripoff (even though the rest of the album is very different), and gave it up as a lost cause. I know...in other albums, I have persevered to the last song and sometimes found a gem, but it really didn't seem to be in the cards for this one. 2 stars because still nothing will ever be worse than that fucking Brian Wilson album.

Fine, but not exciting. I was disappointed by the lyrics.

Bad, very bad. Just not good at all.

Belle musicalità, gli organi erano molto on point

Very entertaining.

Not really into this, pretty watered down Christain rock it feels like.

I think it’s a 9. Best I’ve ever felt about it in my life (huge fan for 15 yrs), maybe my 3rd favourite arcade fire album now. Funeral is prob their best but this is the strongest they were as a band.

My #3 AF album, it’s banger after banger.

No cars go is one of my favourite songs ever

Top tier AC. I mean for me the first 3 albums are 10/10. The easthetic of Neon Bible tho was one of the best for AC.

i get it i do theyre iconic but his voice just sounds so quebecer i cant

7/10

Second Arcade Fire album already! Prefer this one to the first, great first 5 songs (best is Intervention, like a good organ) but it drops off a bit at Ocean of Noise. Not as good after that U C, that song was much too obvious. Still solid though

Alright, for the quantity of times I see them in festivals here in Brazil, I knew it would be either very ok or very pretentious. It's the second option. This is a big what if Florence + the Machine wasn't a good vocalist and lyric genius with identity. Seriously, it's good baroque pop, but with a weak singer and bland lyrics, and the vibe is a bit weird for some reason. Apparently it's supposed to be inspired by some big names according to Wikipedia... Is Dylan, Elvis or Springsteen with us in this work? I can't see. Win Butler said he "watched a lot of TV preachers, get-rich-quick schemes on YouTube." Like buddy, believe me, you could explore this serious problem of greedy exploitation of faith in better terms. This is not as good as it could be. I wish a better songwriter would challenge themselves with this theme. I give it a 1 for imagining Florence doing this theme.

The first 3 Arcade Fire records are pretty unimpeachable for me. They hit at a particular time in my life where they just made sense.

Уфф, это очень... "Millennial coded" музыка. Вот эти вот тихие начала, а потом громкая кульминация. Теперь я понимаю почему меня никогда не интересовали ни Arcade Fire ни аналогичные им indie исполнители. Совершенно неинтересный для меня, приевшийся стиль. хипстерская скучнина. Аранжировки не особо интересные, гитары, клавишные. В общем, такое себе. Еле дослушал.

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2006) Вывод: «Неоновая Библия» как искусственный источник истины вместо традиционного религиозного и морального авторитета; потребление как новая религия Сам по себе довольно пафосный альбом, тяжеловесный, о подмене 'настоящей' Библии как источника человеческой мудрости на 'неоновый' фальшивый мир копии копий, симулякр. Орган подчёркивает тему религии, но к нему добавляются современные инструменты. К неоновой теме также могу упоминание отнести телевизора, как 'новой религии', как упоминается 'антихриста'. То есть в альбоме раскрывается тема подмены понятий и моральных ориентиров своей 'правдой' телевидения и медиа в целом. Современный мир воспитан медиакультурой, а не традициями. И сам альбом звучит как то самое дребежание неоновой лампы, мнение изнутри неё. Весь шум превращается в нечто мелодичное, когда появляется человеческий голос и тепло - что орган, что шум и треск затихают. Но человек уже не свободен - слишком долго и интенсивно было воздействие 'нового писания', что привело как одиночеству и внутренней изоляции. Потребительская культура заполняют ту пустоту, которую раньше занимала вера Концовка остаётся неясной, каждый ответит сам на вопрос 'Может ли человек сохранить духовность в мире симуляций?' Это не выбор между Богом и человеком, это выбор между верой и медиареальностью.

Arcade Fire’s music is exciting, but melodramatic to the point that every song sounds like it’s the album’s finale. I enjoy it in small doses, but I don’t need 11 finales.

Arcade Fire always resonates with the Millennial in me. The themes of this album were something I always enjoy (person getting by one day at a time) and the harmonies between all the members especially vocals always moves me. Just a great band that usually produces quality stuff with this album being one of those thins.

Not my style

This style of music isn't really my thing, and the lyrics got a bit depressing

Not horrible. Not memorable. Similar to Muse or Coldplay

I've heard tracks from this album before but not in order, which to be honest did nothing further for me. It's fine for background listening. 3 stars.

Hell to the yeah.

Fine and forgettable.

This is my third Arcade Fire album on here, and my opinion hasn't changed that much. They're not bad - but there’s just something missing for me and I can't really place it. Not a huge fan of the guys voice, and a lot of the tracks I don't find that interesting. The Suburbs is my favourite AF album out of the 3. This has a couple of songs I didn't mind like Ocean of Noise, and The Well and the Lighthouse.

It was good but nothing really popped for me.

I remember listening a lot to this album when it came out. I still like it a lot. My favourite song is My Body Is A Cage. A fantastic song.

This was a fine album. I wasn't captivated by it in 2007 and I'm not captivated by it now. I know it's very well-reviewed, but its just average in my opinion.

Its fine, a bit dull

Cool

I'm familiar with Arcade Fire and I already have 13 songs "liked" by them on Spotify. But 8 of the liked songs are from their first album called Funeral and only 1 from this one ("No Cars Go"). I remember being excited to get this album when it came out because I liked the first one so much - but I was underwhelmed with this at the time. So I will see if it grabs me this time. "Black Mirror" is better than I remember. "Keep the Car Running" somehow reminds me of Eddie and the Cruisers "On the Dark Side". I still don't like this one. "Intervention" sounds almost too much like going to an old church. I'm glad I relistened to this one because of this project - since I ended up liking 5 more songs -> "Black Mirror", "Ocean of Noise", "(Antichrist Television Blues)", "Windowsill", "My Body Is a Cage". I can't help thinking that this is still a drop off from their first album - it's ok but not as good overall. Liked songs on Spotify: 6/11 Rating: 3/5

Big fan of Funeral here. Neither Neon Bible nor The Suburbs really grabbed me as having music as powerful as Funeral. So I'm revisiting my assessment here. Overall, yeah, probably selling Neon Bible short. "Black Mirror" kicks it off like a Funeral track with rough edges sanded off, good but not great. But with "Neon Bible" it starts to grab me like something fresh. The pipe organ in "Intervention" is drama that feels earned. It's a knockout track, at least as good as Funeral's standards. Other tracks that I feel like, finally, I'm getting it now are "(Antichrist Television Blues)" "Windowsill" and "No Cars Go". The orchestral tendencies don't always work for me. The big ol' ensemble works best for me when it's wild and raucous, and sometimes it feels designed and tamed. Still, that was a really good listen, and bumped up my estimation of the album. I'll say 4.5, but rounding down. The album's themes feel very 2026 in a surprising way. Definitely a timely, topical set of songs, maybe to include on 101 albums to listen to now, probably also deserving in the list of 1001 before you die.

Cool vibe

Removed

Besser als in meiner erinnerung Aber immernoch hipster kram

Nix besonderes aber schön anzuhören. Für das Erscheinungsjahr auf jeden Fall angenehmer als befürchtet.

Das Album ist wie ein 45 minütiger Song; und leider kein guter. Absolute Monotonie, Gesangsqualität schlecht und manchmal schläft jemand auf einer Kirchenorgel ein. Ja, ich bin verkatert, aber je länger es dauert, desto mehr fühlt es sich wie eine Stecknadel unter dem Fingernagel an, die man ab und zu ein wenig hin und her bewegt

I do not like this. At all. Why is this even on the list? At least The Black Album rocks.

Didn't surprise me much. It's not bad, but kinda boring for my taste. This record is a strong indie alternative music example, I can easily imagine it everywhere from 2010th teen movie soundtrack to car radio. It feels nostalgic and hopeful, but that's it.

Sempre gosto de algumas músicas deles, mas acho o álbum como um todo cansativo... Esse é novo pra mim, gostei de Windowsill e a última...

Perhaps the most important rock album of the year 2000’s. The urgency, the channeling of great artists from the past, the insouciant charm of the band. They didn’t belong in the limelight and yet somehow they ended up there….and weathered it well, for a while.

Pretty cool

This album was pretty great!

Such a pleasant album, so full of mystery and charm. I’d never come across this group before, but they’ve totally captivated me.

Really enjoyed this one, not heard a lot of it previously apart from No Cars Go. First half of the album is really strong, middle isn't as strong but picks back up after a few songs. Black Mirror, Keep the Car Running, Intervention and My Body Is a Cage are all really good. A strong 3.5/5

I sure do wish Win Butler wasn’t a creep, for just about everyone’s sake.

my favorite of theirs by far

Time to close the arcade.

Pas tant de choses à dire sur l'album for now. Il s'écoute assez bien, pas nécessairement une toune qui m'a été férocement déplaisante à l'oreille. Je vais probablement devoir le réécouter pour un review plus complet. Globalement pas mon album d'Arcade Fire, mais ça reste une petite fierté québécoise. Chanson préférée : My body is a cage

(unfiltered thoughts post-1re écoute) en écoutant ça je me sentais comme Brittany Broski qui essayait du kombucha pour la première fois, i.e. je savais vraiment pas quoi en penser. immédiatement j’ai pensé à Pornography de The Cure (la chanson, pas l’album) so j’étais genre okAYYYY SLAY. sauf que j’ai pas vraiment aimé les deuxième et troisième tounes. and then the organ started on the fourth and you know my goth ass cannot resist a lil organ action. then i loved the 2nd part of 'Black Wave / Bad Vibrations' but didn’t really gaf about much of the other songs. basically it’s a mixed bag for me et je suis pas sûre de réécouter dans le futur. 'My Body is a Cage' fait partie de ma rotation depuis plus d’une décennie tho so shoutout to that one. (post-2e écoute) j’aime la voix de Butler The Abuser mais pas tant celle de Chassagne, 2nd part of ‘Black Wave / Bad Vibrations' is truly awesome stuff (si seulement je pouvais l'ajouter à ma librairie sans la première partie), ‘Ocean of Noise’ et ‘Windowsill’ grew on me, ‘My Body is a Cage’ reste ma préférée, pis overall i'm not gonna lie the instrumentation (j'ai dû googler pour savoir si c'était un vrai mot) est souvent sublime. mais j’arrive quand même pas à embarquer. j’ai pas le vocabulaire musical pour élaborer mais ça sonne très « rock des années 2010 » à mes oreilles. le fait que deux de mes David préférés (Bowie et Byrne) creamed their pants listening to this band fait juste renforcer mon feeling que le rock avait pas grand-chose d’intéressant à proposer – to me, at least – dans ce temps-là. ça ou bien my musical palette est vraiment pas assez raffinée which is probably more the case, mais bon whatever [fart noise]. #certifiedyapper #sorrythisissofuckingterriblywritten #j'abuseaveclefranglais #pisleshashtags

Bit of a weird one this because I think it's great but Arcade Fire have got 3 other albums I've always preferred to listen to (Suburbs, Reflektor, Funeral) so I always kinda forget about this boy. Listening again has acc made me realise how great I think Neon Bible is. Guess they just hit the mark 4 times.

I was surprised by how much i didn't really like this one because i do like arcade fire that ive heard previously. started off well then got a bit wishy washy and anthemic for my taste

Heard a radio interview with them years ago and it was so pretentious it gave me a permanent ick and has ruined any potential enjoyment of their music.

It was alright, the AF albums I've heard are enjoyable in the moment but don't give me a major lasting impression

I don't mind the actual music! For 'my body is a cage' the sound is actually very enticing. But jesus christ I hate the singer's voice and the lyrics is so repetitive and grumpy.

still pretty good, but so many of the songs have been so overplayed, it is hard to hear them with fresh ears and not fatigue

The pinnacle of the hipster mountain.

I'm a Canadian Who doesn't care for Arcade Fire. I am just not that pretentious. Neon Bible was okay, but I don't get the hype. This is pretty standard indie rock. In fact, it's a tad boring.

I won’t be relistening because i fucking hate win butler but man i used to fucking love this band

Meh

I am so fucking glad this is the last arcade fire album in the project, I can't make myself listen to one more after this.

Durchschnitt. Immerhin mal wieder etwas, was nicht sofort abgebrochen wird.

More stomp, clamp, hey than I expected

Indie rock done RIGHT!!

This is where i got into Arcade Fire, only retroactively liking (and ultimately preferring?) Funeral, which for some reason didn't resonate with me at first. I don't quite love Arcade Fire as much as I once did, perhaps subconsciously because of Butler's behavior, but also because I think they fell off around Reflektor. This is still a five though.

2007, канадский инди. Второй студийный альбом после моего любимого Funeral.

4.5/5

really beautiful album. alot of movie montage moments in the music. i like their sound and vibe. 7/10!

I had certain expectations from this album, specifically because of the title, but those expectations were pushed aside after I heard the first few songs. Neon Bible is a great indie rock album filled with unique songs and an amazing closing track. 3.9/5

Helt ordinært og forglemmelig.

After Funeral set the indie world afire, Neon Bile was the most anticipated album of 2007 in the circles I ran in. While this was the perfect time for the dreaded Difficult Sophomore Album, Neon Bible is great start to finish. "Keep the Car Running," "Intervention," "(Antichrist Television Blues)," "Windowsill," and "No Cars Go" are my favorites, but it's all good. Boy howdy does the post-9/11 & Iraq War despair run deep. Too bad it was only a prelude to what would follow a decade later.

I want to give this 5 stars as a lifetime achievement award to Arcade Fire, and also on the grounds for hosting Intervention, maybe an all time top 10 song for me. But it drags a little too much for me, even by draggy Arcade Fire standards.

🫠👌🏻

Very good. The album literally envelops you and you immerse yourself in it.

Eh

Timeless, poignant but fun

I usually don't like this type of music. While this album did not completely changed my mind, I surprisingly found some of the tracks enjoyable. Fav Track : Keep the car running, Black Wave/Bad Vibrations.

This was a solid album with decent lyricism and instrumentals and I throughly enjoyed a good chunk of it. But it kinda faded into the background for me a couple times. It honestly might just be cause I was distracted or that indie music sometimes has the effect for me. Top Songs: 1) Neon Bible 2)Windowsill 3)Keep the Car Running

very hipster misunderstood album cover 15 year old me wouldve loved my body is a cage favorite song: keep the car running

Not too familiar with Arcade Fire, this album was ok. 2.5 star

What a good album lol. Windowsill took me out.

One of the tags for this is "baroque rock" which I love, and it being recorded in a church adds to the initial draw. I think it opens very strongly, but falters in the back half where it veers into stomp-clap-hey territory (second half is loaded with listen-onces, personally). Use of organs, strings, and other untraditional rock instruments complements the vision. 2.5

I'm a big Arcade Fire fan and enjoyed listening to Neon Bible again. It doesn't beat out The Suburbs as my favorite AF album, but it's great.

Nothing I haven't heard before. Pleasant enough.

In general, indie rock isn’t for me. This album is better than many of the genre, but it’s still dull. The songs aren’t catchy enough to be memorable and the music doesn’t do enough to be interesting. It feels in between pop and rock without taking the best bits of either.

que pollas es esto es super aburridp como metenn estas cosas al libro este de albums que deberias escuchar antes de morrir

Good sound and plenty of top tracks

The weakest of their great three album run but still has a lot of incredible moments and songs - ocean of noise is one of my favourites of theirs

没有印象

Maybe Win should spend more time fearing god and less time doing sex crimes…

Springsteen wannabes.

really couldn't vibe with this. the organ, the vocals. this indy 2000s stuff just isnt for me. it's atmospheric and melancholic but i need some energy or i guess something more interesting for me personally. i could see and know ppl into this but i can't get past some of the fundamental elements of this soundscape 1/5

This was pretty good. I liked the sense of anxiety that runs through this album, almost like realisation that the world isn’t what they thought. The church organs mixed into the instrumentals at points were my favourite as they gave the tracks a certain gravity that they needed. My Body Is A Cage is an absolute standout with its big grand emotional finish. I would be lying if I said the theme or the lyrics engaged me the full time, but I had a nice time.

Not usually my cup of tea, but found it quite a chill album. Got a bit repetitive after a while.

Uninteresting and monotonous.

Fine, but wouldn't choose to put on again. Highlight: (Antichrist television blues) because it reminded me of Kate Nash.

Me gustó pero a la vez no me gustó

geen zin in bijbel eig

When to listen: feeling down but energetic, morbid. I really enjoyed this album, felt like a few songs were very Springsteen-esque (but I think a lot of albums are Springsteen-esque so that might be a "me" problem.)

I loved Funeral and was disappointed after the release of Neon Bible. Haven't listened to this in years and the sexual misconduct allegations make it even worse than I remembered.

I'll search for an in-depth review and analysis of Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible" to provide you with comprehensive information about this album. Based on my research, here is an in-depth review of **Arcade Fire's *Neon Bible*** (2007), examining its lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, along with its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## Overview Released in March 2007, *Neon Bible* arrived as the highly anticipated follow-up to Arcade Fire's breakthrough debut *Funeral*. While their first album dealt with personal grief and family loss, *Neon Bible* dramatically expanded the scope to address societal decay, religious hypocrisy, and consumerist culture. The album was written and recorded primarily in a converted church in Quebec, with production by Markus Dravs and the band itself. --- ## Lyrical Analysis Win Butler's lyrics on *Neon Bible* represent a shift from introspection to cultural critique, though they maintain the band's signature poetic density. **Key Themes:** - **Religious Hypocrisy**: The title track and "Intervention" attack the commodification of Christianity. Butler stated the album's central theme is "this idea that Christianity and consumerism are completely compatible, which I think is the great insanity of our times" . "Intervention" contains the devastating line: *"Working for the Church while your life falls apart / Singing Hallelujah with the fear in your heart."* - **Technological Dread**: "Black Mirror" opens with the prophetic *"Mirror, mirror on the wall, show me where them bombs will fall,"* establishing the album's paranoia about screens, war, and surveillance . The song's title famously inspired the name of the dystopian Netflix series. - **American Anxiety**: "(Antichrist Television Blues)" delivers a scathing critique of religious exploitation through the lens of a stage father pimping his daughter's talent—widely interpreted as targeting Joe Simpson (father of Jessica and Ashlee Simpson). The narrator chillingly asks: *"Oh, tell me Lord, am I the Antichrist?"* - **Existential Escape**: "Keep the Car Running" and "No Cars Go" explore the desire to flee—whether from death, society, or spiritual imprisonment. The former's urgency (*"Men are coming to take me away"*) contrasts with the latter's transcendent hope . **Critique**: Some reviewers find the lyrics occasionally heavy-handed. The MTV rant in "Windowsill" (*"I don't wanna live in America no more"*) can feel dated, and certain lines border on the overly earnest . However, the personal framing of political themes—focusing on individual responses rather than broad manifestos—lends them emotional authenticity . --- ## Musical Composition & Production **Orchestral Expansion**: The album abandons the scrappy indie rock of *Funeral* for a more cinematic, baroque sound. The mix favors crisp acoustics, church organs, string sections, and unconventional instruments like the hurdy-gurdy . "Intervention" exemplifies this approach, building from solo organ to full orchestral bombast . **Dynamic Range**: The sequencing creates dramatic tension. "Black Mirror" opens with subdued menace before "Keep the Car Running" provides propulsive relief. The one-two punch of "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" shifts from Régine Chassagne's French-language new wave verses to Win Butler's paranoid, pulsating second half . **Standout Moments**: - **"My Body Is a Cage"**: The closer uses only organ and percussion initially, gradually adding layers until a full choir joins Butler's desperate plea: *"Set my spirit free / Set my body free"* - **"No Cars Go"**: A reworking of an early EP track, it serves as the album's emotional peak—a transcendent anthem about a place "between the click of the light and the start of the dream" **Production Team**: Markus Dravs (who would later work on *The Suburbs* and *Reflektor*) and Scott Colburn captured the church recordings' natural reverb, giving the album its cavernous, reverent atmosphere . --- ## Thematic Depth *Neon Bible* functions as a dystopian narrative album. The world-building creates a universe where: - Consumerism has replaced genuine spirituality (the "Neon Bible" itself—a glowing, poisonous tome) - Technology creates distance rather than connection - Escape is both necessary and impossible The album's autumnal mood—"pensive, if a little irritable"—matches its themes of decline . Unlike their later album *Everything Now*, which critics found heavy-handed in its satire, *Neon Bible* maintains ambiguity. It acknowledges that religion and culture aren't inherently evil but warns against their corruption . The narrative arc moves from dread ("Black Mirror") through various forms of resistance ("The Well and the Lighthouse," "Windowsill") to the complicated hope of the final tracks. "No Cars Go" offers transcendent escape, while "My Body Is a Cage" brings us back to earthly limitation—ending without resolution, like a closing hymn that fades rather than resolves . --- ## Influence & Legacy **On Indie Rock**: *Neon Bible* played a pivotal role in elevating indie rock's sonic ambitions, proving the genre could sustain orchestral grandeur without sacrificing independent ethos. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, validating Merge Records' model for scaling indie production . The album influenced subsequent acts like **Fleet Foxes** (*Helplessness Blues*) and **The National** (*High Violet*), encouraging a wave of "baroque indie" that incorporated symphonic and folk elements . It expanded indie rock beyond the lo-fi minimalism of Pavement or early Strokes toward something more cinematic. **Cultural Impact**: - The Netflix series *Black Mirror* took its name from the opening track - "No Cars Go" appeared in the 2023 film *Saltburn* and the Apple TV+ series *Shrinking* - In 2019, Austin band **A Giant Dog** released a complete cover album through Merge's 30th anniversary series **Longevity**: The album has maintained strong streaming numbers into the 2020s, with hundreds of millions of plays on Spotify, outpacing many contemporaries . --- ## Pros | Strength | Details | |----------|---------| | **Orchestral ambition** | Successfully integrates church organs, strings, and choirs without pretension | | **Cohesive world-building** | Rare album-length narrative that rewards sequential listening | | **Emotional peaks** | "No Cars Go," "Intervention," and "My Body Is a Cage" rank among Arcade Fire's finest moments | | **Vocal performance** | Win Butler's quivering, vulnerable delivery grounds the grandiosity | | **Lasting relevance** | Themes of technological alienation and religious hypocrisy feel prescient | | **Sequencing** | The final stretch from "(Antichrist Television Blues)" through "My Body Is a Cage" represents some of the band's best track ordering | --- ## Cons | Weakness | Details | |----------|---------| | **Uneven pacing** | The middle section ("Black Wave" through "Windowsill") can feel sluggish, with too many slow-moving five-minute tracks | | **Occasional heavy-handedness** | Some political lyrics ("I don't wanna live in America no more") lack the subtlety of *Funeral* or *The Suburbs* | | **Title track weakness** | "Neon Bible" itself feels underdeveloped for its thematic importance—short, muted, and almost like a B-side | | **Springsteen comparisons** | Tracks like "(Antichrist Television Blues)" wear their Bruce influence overtly, which some find derivative | | **Density vs. accessibility** | The relentless seriousness and lack of humor can feel oppressive on repeated listens | | **Vague messaging** | Some critics argue the lyrics gesture at big ideas without fully developing them, prioritizing atmosphere over precision | --- ## Conclusion *Neon Bible* stands as Arcade Fire's most **thematically ambitious** and **sonically expansive** work, even if it lacks the perfect pacing of *Funeral* or the songcraft of *The Suburbs*. It captures a specific cultural moment—the mid-2000s anxiety of the Bush era, pre-smartphone technological unease—while transcending it through genuine emotional urgency. The album's greatness lies in its **willingness to risk embarrassment** . It is unabashedly serious, overtly political, and musically grandiose at a time when indie rock often favored irony and restraint. For listeners willing to engage with its darkness, it offers moments of genuine transcendence—particularly in "No Cars Go" and the crushing finale of "My Body Is a Cage." **Grade: A-** (or 4/5) It remains an essential document of indie rock's brief ascendancy into the mainstream, a bridge between the genre's lo-fi origins and its later orchestral ambitions. While not every experiment succeeds, the album's successes are so powerful—and its vision so cohesive—that its flaws feel like necessary risks rather than fatal errors.

This is probably one of my top 5 albums of all time. Love it with all my heart!

This is pretty good. I remember hearing Arcade Fire be hyped up over the years, but I never listened to them. This is a good album, and I can see why a lot of people love them. I probably would call this "the favorite band/album of the protagonist in a 2010s coming of age movie," if that makes sense. I wouldn't say I love it. But it's a very enjoyable listen. Favorite track would probably be Keep the Car Running.

ça va mais sans plus

Pretentious vocalist, smug album.

A totally irrelevant album that just splits a baby down the middle. The worst of everything country and rock. Much like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, in all of their configurations, it doesn't speak to me. And I have never enjoyed trust fund kid Gram Parsons’ take on country and country rock. I respect that The Byrds took risks, but I cannot imagine a time in my life where I would want to reach for an album like this. Felt like I was in an endless auditory blur of country shuffle and pedal steel guitar for 40 minutes (I skipped all the tracks that were not on the original release). Having said all that, the best thing about this album is the album cover which is pretty cool. I can see why it ended up in a museum. Competently produced, engineered, and recorded, but not for me.

pretty amazing. Period of time in my life where I stopped exploring music so i did not know. Now I do.

Don't know the last time I listened to this. Maybe, roughly when it was released? All I know is that it hit a lot harder this time than it did then. Wow, what a banger.

eh

Absolutely cracking album

now is not the best age for me to listen to them

Loved it. Never realized how much I like Arcade Fire, but this is the second AF record on this list I handy really paid attention to in the past. But having done so now, I’m sold. Just really good freakin rock anthems.

I didn’t hate all of it

it's OK you know, it doesn't wow me really in any way but it's good music.

Some nice sounds, but gets repetitive and boring quickly.

Liked the sound, would have been better if it was more, progressive

Another band I just know a little from a few songs. This is another pleasant experience. A couple of songs I already know and a bunch of new ones that are really good. Another big plus is that it feels like the album follows a theme all the way. Win Butlers voice needs a little warming up into. But the composition of the songs are really cool. The church organ used in some of the songs raises the quality of the songs also. **Update: I relistened to this album and decided it needs to be upgraded from 4 to 5 stars. It’s just that good! Favourite songs: Intervention, No Cars Go, Black Mirror, Keep The Car Running.

C'est assez drôle comme album, ça change beaucoup de ce que j'ai l'habitude d'écouter en terme de rock, c'est très cinématographique ou scénarisée, il y a du français que l'on a du mal à percevoir. Les sonorités sont assez percutantes et originales. Groupe canadien multi instrumentistes et ça s'entend c'est assez orchestral. Beaucoup de nomination aux Grammy pour musique alternative. L'album a aidé à la popularisation de la musique indie rock.

I remember feeling confused and annoyed when Arcade Fire headlined Reading. I still feel vaguely confused and annoyed

It sounds like a television preacher turned alt rock star, and maybe it was the band's plan. It start ok, but after a while I become tired of the overly expressive/theatrical vocals. 2.75 / 5

Great album, amazing sound

Great lyrics, and a meaningful message, but the music lacks in several departments. The David Bowie vocals are not my favorite musical fad but it's a good cover if you aren't a classically trained singer. I remember seeing one or some of the members of this band in the news for SA charges so that's a bummer, but tis the life of a rock and roller. I guess when you get good at music you feel entitled to force your body on someone else's. I wouldn't know because that seems like the wrong thing to do but I'm also not a rock and roll musician. 4/10

Pretty good

Hated.Boring and annoying.

ωραίο ήταν αυτό

Great to relisten. I don’t listen to it often as it can in between two of my all time favourites. Does it stand on its own? Yes.

A solid listen, can't believe I haven't heard it before. Some really good tracks that I enjoyed immensely on a Friday morning with very little going on.

Percebo porque muita gente gosta porque tem um som original até, mas não é para mim. Se desse dava 2.5 acho eu que é uma review “mixed”

O álbum parece ser escrito por alguém desiludido que deixou de ser religioso. Não é o meu álbum favorito, mas é o que tens as minhas letras favoritas. E o órgão em cima disso torna-o transcendente. Para os fãs de Peter Gabriel pode ser surpreendente saber que este álbum tem a música original My body is a cage.

My body is a cage é a melhor música dos Arcade Fire e durante muitos anos achava que era uma cover, portanto respect por ser original. Estavam num bom caminho nestes primeiros 3 álbuns…

Não me puxou muito, apesar de ter 2 ou 3 músicas bastante boas.

O meu álbum favorito dos arcade fire que tenho em CD. Este álbum proporcionou me o meu primeiro Mandela effect, porque ainda hoje acho que o my body is a cage originalmente é do Peter Gabriel.

Hmm, I think I loved the Suburbs better, but overall a pretty decent album!

No cars go is what you're here for. The rest is iterations of the same concept. It's the only one where that extended swelling outro actually hits you with everything.

Why is there three albums from Arcade Fire on this list? I've always felt like they made music that was supposed to sound independent and unfettered by corporate interests, but at the end of the day they are just another commercially bloated faux rock band from the '00's. None of it is bad, but it's just forgettable. Also, compared to the other albums by them on this list, this one is by far and away their weakest.

Enjoyed this much more than the other effort of theirs I had way back at the start (The Suburbs). This was a bit more upbeat and didn’t make me want to skip to the end to escape a pit of depression.

I didn't like Funeral and I really didn't like The Suburbs, but this one is actually not bad. Go figure. I think they buried the vocal a bit, which works just fine for me.

Yup

Not bad.

Des instrus sympas. Sur le coup j’ai été surpris quand j’ai entendu que ça parlait français sur Black Wave/Bad Vibrations

I'm not a fan of the indie genre in any way, so this is just a thanks for participating 3

a little too indie for my taste... jay might like it more... i do like some songs but like, it doesnt connect with me much, i think.

Ottoemmezzo

It’s hard to imagine a band more intensely millennial than Arcade Fire. They may not have been a “stomp-clap-hey” band themselves, but they are the intellectual godfathers of that sound. In stark contrast to the dark, grungy, cynical rock bands of the 90s, they made it cool to be big, bright, theatrical, and hopelessly sincere. You listen to these people and you just know they love to talk about their heckin’ doggos and how they just can’t even. But of course, most of this highly-online mumbo jumbo is irrelevant, and it was completely irrelevant in 2007. Back then these guys were legitimately new and fresh, an innovative band with sharp songwriting and a big indie rock sound that didn’t rely on the guitar. Do I go for it? Not really, but I can see why a lot of people did. Arcade Fire exemplifies an era of youthful optimism and artistry that now feels incredibly naive. But at their best, they make you believe in it.

listened to it. cant remember anything about it.

A great album that is only slightly overshadowed by Funeral and The Suburbs. The instrumentation here is so different it really stands out the band recorded the album in a cathedral. Regine’s backing vocals are a high point as always. Despite probably 75-100 plays, Intervention is a track I found a new appreciation for after this listen having not listened to Neon Bible in full for years.

Nope. Creep.

Спочатку дуже не зайшов, а потім розсмакувала. Я б поставила 4.5, але такої оцінки нема, тому 4

Losse nummers zijn chill, hele album is wat vaag.

Neon Bible is an enjoyable listen, leaning into Arcade Fire’s grand, baroque pop sound, though it occasionally slips into pretentious indie territory.

One good song

As a good Brazilian, I spent the last ten days living Carnival to the fullest. This break naturally paused my album-listening journey, and now that Carnival officially ends today, I feel like I need a few days to recover—from all the alcohol, all the partying, and all the joy—before I’m fully back on track. But I want to talk about one of the last albums I listened to before Carnival: Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. What a wonderful surprise this was. What a joy it is to discover such a great album—one I probably would never have listened to if it weren’t for this challenge I set for myself, to explore albums I didn’t know. I’m aware that it deals with very dense themes: political climate, disillusionment, frustration, existential weight. And yet, despite all that, it has an incredibly vibrant, almost euphoric sound. At least that’s how it felt to me. I couldn’t sit still while listening. My shoulders were moving, my hips were moving—it has that rare ability to carry heavy ideas inside music that still feels alive and physical. For me, the whole album is excellent. But if I had to highlight a few favorites, I’d mention Neon Bible, Black Mirror, Keep the Car Running, The Well and the Lighthouse, and No Cars Go. But truly, every track has something special. Five stars, without hesitation. This is exactly the kind of album that gives meaning to this challenge—to listen, to discover, and to expose myself to these thousand and one worlds I hadn’t entered before.

90

I know I'm supposed to like Arcade Fire, because that would mean that I am cool. I do not think I am cool. My Body is a Cage is particularly grating. I did like Keep the Car Running.... Average thoughts for an average album.

I loved this album from the first listen back in the middle aughts.

Like a very modern hipster Springsteen. Emphasis on the modern. I thought I hated it...then I thought I really liked it...then it dragged on for too long and I didnt like it again.

5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/arcade-fire/neon-bible/ Hadn't listened to this fully for quite some time, because Win Butler sucks and new Arcade Fire albums did too. Revising it now does prove that it's still a fantastic album from what I once called one of my favorite bands. Men suck.

A cool album that I’ve never bothered to listen to before

Ridiculously boring.

This band was ubiquitous when I was in college so I come in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder against them, a feeling that I've heard it all before. And the same goes for their lyrical themes... suburban alienation in the 2000s, I lived it, man! But actually listening to this as a complete album won me over a bit. "Keep the Car Running" captures the Springsteen dimension of the band well, "No Cars Go" feels like a fragment remembered from a dream amped up to 11, and I was weirdly affected by "Windowsill" ... even though it has just the same themes I said I was tired of, I felt like I heard them in a new way, sort of the same way I feel listening to Phoebe Bridgers. Anyway, I'm not ready to give this one a 5, but it makes me think it might be time for me to admit how good Arcade Fire actually is a decade or more too late. Inevitably I'll listen to some of their other albums over the next few days. Side note: Weirdly, the only album from them I really got into when it came out was "Reflektor." Maybe because of the Bowie cameo? More Régine Chassagne? Pretending to be a different band?

This alternated between Temu Bruce Springsteen and yawn-inducing pretention.

I suppose they are good musicians, but this never moved me. If you live in Canada, you end up hearing Canadian artists a lot if they happen to become internationally famous. That applies to Arcade Fire, and there just isn’t enough to keep me all that interested over repeated exposure.

Very good album, gives a neo vibe and is a super interesting albun

Very nice. Very enjoyable.

CLASSIC EARLY OO'S!

Ultra-toooooooooop

Not my favourite, sounds like what a guy who dries his hair with an old tshirt and wears a couple to mny rings would recommend me to listen to before flirting with my bestfriend....

The vocals were better than the previous album, but it's still just Arcade Fire...

I’m wishing for a half star voting system. While I don’t think this album deserves a full three I do not think it deserves a full two either. It was actually an interesting if overproduced album that along with Modest Mouse’s similar timeframe album did bring a lot of focus to the genre utilizing social media and clever internet marketing.

Love Arcade Fire but I prefer the later albums - still great so giving a 4

10/10

Interesting and partly quite good. But as a whole one of the so many average albums here on the list.

This is the second Arcade Fire album I have ever listened to and it was miles better than the other one. They know how to make a good tune but the more downbeat ones are a little too theatrical for me

I was surprised to see this album on this list. "The Well and the Lighthouse" has been on my playlist for many years, so I was excited to see what the rest of the album held in store for me. The answer was, sadly, not much.

love

Started off ok, but every song ended up sounding the same

Im not familiar with this band but wow! What a record! Very well produce. Well written & recorded. Deep cut lyrics. I a fan now!

I remember listening to this album before, and having been a huge fan of 'Funeral' it doesn't quite hit the same highs. Nevertheless, it is a solid offering, although the mix felt a bit flat in places.

Bof bof

Good Album, but I like "Funteral" and "Reflektor" more. Best song by far: Intervention.

This album was really interesting! The only Arcade Fire record I've previously listened all the way through is The Suburbs, and I honestly found this to be far superior. "Black Mirror" was a really strong opening track. I thought the organs and strings throughout the record almost gave it a "dark gospel" feel, and I found many of the lyrics really compelling. It is then closed with "My Body is a Cage," which is a phenomonal closing track. Unfortunately it did have a small handful of weak tracks on it as well like "Black Wave" and Windowsill," preventing it from being a 5/5.

Eh. Not my thing, but I could see how it would appeal to others

I'm very surprised this is here. Funeral was a genuine eye-opener, a technicolour expanse at a time of minimal simplistic guitar bands. But this? This is...fine, I guess? The only part that actually felt memorable just reminded me of Sufjan Stevens. Very much not a 'bad' record, but not even my favourite Arcade Fire LP, so very surprised to see it here. A low 3 / high 2. Gets a 3 because it wasnt offensive, but just.

Arcade fire was a perfect early 2000s band, along with the shins. They just got that sounds. Sophisticated though. Win is a great songwriter and I love the idea they’re conveying in this album. Neon Americana

Not revelatory but decent.

It’s amazing how a couple of decades can make a protest record against the “establishment” seem like a bunch of callow and insincere millionaires whinging. Maybe it’s the promise this music held to a young man that someone was out there fighting the man and saying the inflammatory things that drove our fantasies of a better tomorrow. A promise that feel more fraudulent as you age because you discover that everything is “the man” and you are a part of the establishment by proxy no matter what you think or hate. There are hits here, Keep The Car Running, Ocean of Noise, that stand the test of time, but others fall short. Having been rent from the naive energy that drives them they seem overwrought and ultimately silly at times. Also one has to consider the band’s own opus when gauging this album and though better than some of the later outings, this is no Funeral and we’re the poorer for it.

This was my first encounter with Arcade Fire. Id heard about them for years but never heard their stuff. I was sure what to expect, I just had some vague idea of an early 00s indie, art, or whatever rock. That’s what I found—whatever rock. The songs on this record aren’t bad, but they’re not special either. I have no interest in listening again.

Another male musician, another creep apparently, per wiki. My attraction to this group hasn't changed since the previously scored 2 star album. Is it Springsteen or Bono that is being channeled? Intervention has a rock organ? Listened before? N Saved tracks? N Favorite tracks? NA ⭐⭐ Meh

Pretty sure I already listened to this? Oh, wait. Every Arcade Fire song sounds the same.

This album was not bad, but not incredible either. I really liked the use of the instruments (like the strings and trumpet), but there were not too many songs that really caught my attention. No Cars Go was probably my favorite from this album. The flute had a really cool part. Besides that, the album was alright.

Flott

Not as good as Funeral or The Suburbs but a mighty fine record by one of the best bands of their generation. Pity Win is a bit of a prick.

no entiendo porque están en todos los festivales indie estando tan mid

On first listen, I noticed an inherent darkness in the lyricism, which explores some interesting territory and remains abstract without becoming preachy, while juggling themes such as existential dread, paranoia and guilt. It is scarily relevant years after its release, now even more so than ever before. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the delivery particularly convincing across much of the album, and I often felt sonically lost between its different concepts. I struggled to tell many of the songs apart. The two standouts for me were “Ocean of Noise” and “My Body Is a Cage.”

Pretty good, added 2 or 3 songs, the rest decent as background

Perfectly fine and average

nah. I understand a lot of people like these guys. I am not one of them. Their LP, "Funeral" was ok. I simply find nothing redeeming in their work.

Do pierwszego albumu na liście nie byłem do końca przekonany i nie mogłem się wkręcić. Ten jednak najzwyczajniej w świecie mi się nie podobał. Jakbym znowu jakiegoś U2 słuchał. Dziwna ściana dźwięku z zawodzącym wokalem i, imo, głodnymi kawałkami z płaskim przesłaniem. Nie dla mnie.

Just a coincidence that No Cars Go rhymes with Let's Fucking Go? I think not!

Arcade Fire and the White Stripes were two bands that gave me hope for the future of rock music in the 2000s.

I forgot this band and album even existed, as it released at a time when Indie Rock was having a huge upswing in popularity that caused them to become a dime a dozen. Wasn't hugely impressed with "Black Mirror", with the whole thing just feeling a bit flat from the delivery of the lyrics to the lack of anything distinct in it's instruments. "Keep the Car Running" does a much better job of both of these things from the get go however, making me wonder why this wasn't the opening track. Not another good track for me until "Blackwave/ Bad Vibrations", where the give and take of the male and female vocalists made for really great listening. The angry fuzzy guitars around the middle of the track give it a grungey edge which always goes down well with me. "Ocean of Noise" starts slow, with it's thumping bassline and clicky percussion, but builds into something incredible by it's end; a worthy payoff for the slow start. "The Well and the Lighthouse" was also another standout track, as the blend of the two vocalists once again made for deeply satisfying sounds. The same could be said for "Windowsill". Overall, the album definitely gets off to a slow start, but builds to something much greater by it's end, as if it's greatest tricks were being saved for the end of the show. Would be happy to hear more from Arcade Fire.

This is rock at is most melancholy. It is beautiful and full of amazing grand instruments. Like a church organ and banks of strings. It is hard to give a rating for this album because it constructed in such a way as to perfectly convey a feeling of dread, paranoia and ennui. Win Butler's vocals are so distinctive and powerful that, on their own I find them haunting and I both want to listen to them and run away from them. Keep the car running and No cars go are both massive, up tempo tunes. And even they are full of sorrow and despair. (4.250)

My Body is a Cage is awesome. Known it since release from my parents and it's a banger all the way. The power and tone the organ brings speaks directly to your soul. Turn on the speakers and crank it the hell UP Antichrist Television Blues goes hard. Lyrics are great. Not too big a fan of Black Mirror. A bit too monotonic for my taste but the lyrics are great. I've heard Keep the Car Running before, but I couldn't tell you where. I like the acoustic guitar and the bass layering here. Neon Bible is weird. It feels like metal Jack White recorded a Kenny Rogers song. Doesn't fit well with me. Intervention and Black Wave are similarly odd. I feel mixed about Ocean of Noise. I like the detached tone but it still has a similar monotonic feeling to Black Mirror. I can see why people would like it though. The Well and the Lighthouse along with Windowsill are in the same box. I know No Cars Go already. I like it. Ultimately, I just prefer the more active side of Arcade Fire that they show in tracks like this and My Body is a Cage. Overall, good album but I'm giving it a 3/5. There's so much potential I feel that they missed out on going in the direction of My Body is a Cage. For a moment though, we witnessed utter cinema.

A flaming album that works surprisingly well for deep focus work. The production creates a massive wall of sound that fuels productivity, but the songwriting is intense enough to occasionally break your concentration, in a good way. The pipe organ man. Damn. ​Highlights: ​"Black Wave": The favourite. Or maybe it was the next one? Either way, I really noticed it. ​"My Body Is A Cage": Damn! The massive drop and pipe organ left me no choice but to "stop and appreciate" while coding.

Black mirror is intriguing vibe to it. Keep the car running has a fun musical pattern to the start. Kinda reminds me of M83 a little. Neon Bible is alright Intervention is the first with the organ, hell yeah My Body is cage is fun with the organ again. Overall, a pretty diverse and good album.

4.5 stars nearly a 5 star album for me. there are just a couple of songs that feel a bit filler-ish. they're still good songs but it's my only critique of the album. there are 3-4 songs from this album that are among my favorite tracks from this century, from any artist. Favorite tracks: Intervention, Keep the Car Running, & Antichrist Television Blues

Really good solid showcase of their sound

Meh

Kind of meh. Some fun bops but overall don't see myself revisiting.

Wish I could rate higher for all of the popular songs that are bangers, but everything else is just so meh that I cannot reasonably give it a 4

3/5

This was Arcade Fire's second album, and while it's definitely more refined and confidently presented than their first, I personally don't think it's as good. That isn't to say it's a bad album, and I'd still give it a good solid four out of five stars, but falling between Funeral and The Suburbs, this one just feels a little bit less.

The longer this one went the more it lost me. Chords dominated the vocals, and the lyrics became inanely repetitious within each song.

começo bom, final morno

This album is extremely 2007. Given I'm not a huge fan of 2000s indie rock this wasn't a good thing. I do like the church organs and the grandiose feel of a lot of the tracks, which gives the album a distinct sound and feel, but the album sometimes collapses under the weight of the hipster rock tropes it unfortunately applies far too often. I also never understood this era's obsession with slathering a shit-ton of reverb over the vocals. It makes it hard to understand the lyrics for no reason and just makes you sound miserable and distant, but beyond that, it deeply annoys me for reasons I can't explain. Speaking of, maybe I would connect more with this album if I grew up in a suffocating religious environment, but since religion was a non-issue in my childhood the lyrics kind of just remind me of all the obnoxious new atheists clogging the internet 15 years ago. More of a me issue than an issue with the album itself though, I imagine this would connect a lot more if you did grow up in that environment. Cool album cover though. 2.5/5

You can clearly tell the band would end up where they have recently, musically speaking. In hindsight, it's mostly indie-pop slop with a lot of pseudo-intellectualism and sometimes overbearing noise and sonic elements that make the production value very weird to me. To address the big (pink) elephant in the room, it's impossible not to feel that it is disingenuous the way the band portrays its sound and themes, knowing what we know today about its lead singer. Oh, and by the way, I'm gonna die before I listen to any more of Win Butler singing.

An absolutely stunning record full of massive, epic songs exploring the intersection of the church and commercialism. The first four tracks are so incredibly well done that I usually just hit repeat and almost forget about the rest of the album. I saw them open for U2 once, and Bono described them less as a band and more as a 'musical circus'—which perfectly sums up their entire sound.

Hipster Bruce Springsteen. 2/5

I feel like I barely dipped my toe in at 3 listenings, liked it more each time and I'm sure that will grow. Go Habs.

Callie is apparently a big fan of Arcade Fire. She was bopping to pretty much every song. We all realized that since we typically listen in the morning or the evening when she turns three. She will have listened to most of the 1001 albums.

I have a soft spot for Arcade Fire and Indie rock of this genre. Neon Bible as a concept is an interesting one, speaking on the parallels between Christianity and commercialism. Lots of interesting elements like the organ on Intervention, and the backup choral voices on a few of the songs. Win Butler has a way with imbueing his singing with raw emotion, he's very good. Its crazy to me that people call this music boring or indie bullshit. Like is your dopamine system that fucked where you need a minimum of 130 BPM to enjoy music? God forbid a vocalist adds some variation and emotion into how they sing. People just love to be haters, just to vomit their negativity onto 90% of everything they touch. I'll give this an 8.5/10

Was getting more and more exhausted each second, but Intervention kinda flipped that whole experience, and I feel like that's maybe because I prefer the pace of the songs after that. Both other Arcade Fire albums on this list I mostly disliked besides one or two stand out songs, but on this one I do genuinely enjoy the second half of the record a lot. Besides this, I have only ever come back to two Arcade Fire songs, Awful Sound and It's Never Over, both fantastic and beautiful songs and I'm glad I got to notice more of this band's talent here, even if it took three albums.

not their best - some good songs, others much less good

Better than coldplay

I’ve never really listened to Arcade Fire before, and I’m not entirely positive this record is going to be a catalyst for me to start. Musically it’s.. good? I have no strongly negative observations to report, but I just found it sort of.. unengaging? Is that even a word? Sonically it feels really vast, almost too big for its own good if that makes sense. Vocally and lyrically I think it’s like if Bruce Springsteen had started an indie rock band. I don’t hate it, but I definitely don’t love it. This would get a 2 but they get a bonus point for being Canadian.

Nearly 20 years later this album and Arcade Fire in generic feels like the most quintessential and kind of boring late 2000s-early 2010s indie music imaginable. I'm not sure if that's because their music was always that way or they're something of a victim of their own success and their sound was so successful and oft-replicated that it now sounds this way. Either way I've never been a huge fan. The singles from this album, "Keep the Car Running", "No Cars Go", and "My Body is a Cage" are pretty good. I also liked "Ocean of Noise". I see the appeal this has for people but it doesn't evoke strong feelings either way for me.

Oh it’s very bland.

3.0 - Ok

First listen in maybe 15 years and it really holds up. Not quite as sweeping and glorious as Funeral, but it’s dark, layered, and ethereal. Some nice atmospheric touches and Darkness-era Springsteen influences. A game follow up to “the” record.

12:46pm Iskreno, nije baš za mene. Lijepa melodija i sve to ali nah. Ni tekst nisam mogla nešto da pratim bog zna, nije mi imao smisla. Ali nisu loši objetivno, samo ja ne mogu ovakvu indie rock muziku da slušam.

slightly better than mid

Enjoyable alternative from the 2000s. Reminds me a lot of one of my favorite bands, The War on Drugs.

I think the concept is pretty interesting but the music didn't interest me enough to think about relistening

Ok

Classic Arcade Fire sound, hits nicely, and not even one of their best albums

This album probably deserves a higher score but I enjoyed it three stars worth. I think I found this album to be at it's best when it felt like the second coming of Bruce Springsteen. That that for all it's worth.

Top songs: Keep the Car Running Intervention No Cars Go

2/5. I try my best to enter every album with a fully open mind. That being said Arcade Fire is just one of those bands that I’ve never been able to get into. Which is odd, I typically love indie rock, but something about their music has always just turned me away. That being said I will say I thought the opener “Black Mirror” and the closer “my body is a cage” is solid too, though I actually prefer the Peter Gabriel cover that’s featured in the season 2 finale of the show Dark. Didn’t love it, but I can at least appreciate its place in 2000’s indie rock.

I always felt on casual listening that arcade fire was simply a Springsteen adjacent work with less effort. That's in there but also a pretty great set of lyrics. I can't say I enthusiastically listened but it got my attention despite my initial bias.

Hmm, a weird one to review. This isn’t anywhere near as good as I remember it being. It starts to come together in the second half but the whole thing seems a bit full of itself. Adding in the weird vibe from the accusations surrounding Win Butler and I can’t imagine I’ll come back to this again. Luckily I’ve discovered violator by Depeche Mode which is just better than this album anyway. So I don’t need to feel conflicted.

I know these guys are cancelled now but their first 3 albums are still great. Not quite as good as Funeral but what is.

Listened Before? N I didn't hate this as much as some of the other reviewers... but I found it pretty unremarkable. It just sort of doesn't have much that stands out. I listen to it and I go "yep, that's 2000s indie rock'. Someone said it was like U2 without the meaningful lyrics, and I think I agree. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: No Cars Go

Fantastic

Great album. So many great songs. Even rediscovered one I didn't remember it was so good. Not their best album, though. 4,25/5.

Groovy!

An amazing record... been on rotation since its release... best LIVE show ever.

Their last good album.

I like some Arcade Fire but not a lot off of this.

Didn't know this one as well as Funeral or The Suburbs, but much like with Funeral, I mostly prefer the singles to the deep tracks. The Suburbs is an absolute masterpiece and for my money their crowning achievement.

The third best Arcade Fire Album.

Positively surprised by this. A very rich, varied sound throughout the entire album. 4/5

This felt like one of those “you won’t get it unless you listen to the lyrics” or like a “you just don’t get it like I do” that bitches be listening to in 2015. Pierce the veil type shit mixed with a little bit of Radiohead and the smiths?

Ooof

Meh

Je ne m’attendais pas à aimer, vu l’étiquette rock indé, mais je me suis surpris à bien accrocher ! C’est un album très riche, qui traverse plein d’ambiances. Et même si je trouve que ça retombe un peu passé le tiers de l’album (oui, c’est tôt), il m’a laissé une très bonne impression !

I love this! Too bad Win is apparently an asshole? Not like Morrisey-level, thank god. 4.5/5 I fucking love this!

Dacht dat dit harder was. Oke The Well and The Lighthouse ga ik goed op. Al met al prima plaat, maar minder dan verwacht

Fuck arcade fire

Net te millenial coded voor mij

-1 punt want Arcade Fire maar wat een bangers

Het is geen Funeral maar dit is zo'n belangrijke plaat voor me geweest toen ik een jaar of 16 was. Zure smaak nu uiteraard, blij om weer een keer te luisteren. Edit: de laatste 3 tracks zijn echt waanzinnig op deze.

Not bad, not great either. The hit off this is "Keep The Car Running" and it's definitely the best song on the album. The rest sounds kind of like that song but not as good.

Thought this was album was annoying and too experimental. Nothing special for me

A pretty good effort from these guys. A lot of solid songs on here. I grew up on 60's and 70's music but these guys are pretty good.

Fav: Ocean Of Noise Least Fav: Neon Bible By far their best

This album is more condensed and concise than The Suburbs but the songs aren’t as strong. This was a good listen though. But less memorable. I feel AF learned from this album and made a lot of hits but didn’t know when to stop with a the Suburbs. But this review is about Neon Bible. But that’s all I have to say. I’m interest in this band. But I haven’t really heard anything at all, any news, and note worthy releases since The Suburbs. I hope there are some surprises coming my way. 3 Neons out of 5 Bibles

Excellent - hugely varied but all tracks are a great individually, and go well together as an album

Amazing album, a little flat sometimes, but some of its sounds are so unique and intriguing

album was alright, very unique but kinda boring for me, not really my style

Liked it. Felt like I knew some of the songs even though i know I never heard them befote

2 - ok at best

I'm not really a fan of Arcade Fire's style of Baroque Rock and I find Win Butler's vocal style annoying. Best track on the album is the single "No Cars Go".

Good but not my fave by them, first time I heard it all the way through in ages. Bit too grandiose for its own good, funeral is better

feel like this probably inspired Sam Fender (keep the car running could totally be a Fender song if it was sung with a Geordie accent) and Wet Leg (less the singing/lyrics, but i felt like the guitar on a couple of the tracks (The Well and the Lighthouse) reminded me of moisturizer). all well made but i kinda feel like this is nothing really that special, none of the songs are drawing me in a lot and making me want to come back to this album, but i wouldnt complain if someone put it on. 3

Not my personal favorite Arcade Fire album, but it is a great storytelling journey. It is still in regular rotation on my turntable and should be in yours too if you like 00s indie or raging against organized religion

Easy listen, good vibes. That’s all I needed

no

indie rock Black Mirror Keep the car running Neon bible No cars go

Hadn't listened to Arcade Fire in some time, and mostly hadn't listened to this album before. The church organ usage is pretty rad. I re-listened and have Intervention pegged as my favorite.

2026.01.12.

Yeah. I knew about Arcade Fire but never listened to Arcade Fire. Not too much missed, and I think it was included because it was a good album when it released, but it never really reached any kind of legacy/staying power outside of fans of the band.

I’ve never really listened to anything by Arcade Fire. It was good, but it’s not really for me.

un peu ennuyeux </3 y’a pas grand chose qui se passe ♡: Keep the Car Running (celle-là je l’aime vraiment par contre)

"Keep the Car Running" is a bop. The organ in "Intervention" was unexpectedly delightful.

Yeah it's bombastic and pretentious. Sometimes you need that. I woke up this morning with No Cars Go in my head. The album that got me into Arcade Fire after seeing them at Glastonbury. It's not something I listen to lots these days (think the Suburbs and Funeral get more plays) but enjoyed revisiting it.