Neon Bible

Arcade Fire! I've actually listened to these guys before. I gave Funeral a try because last.fm said it was relevant to my interests, though I found the irreverent, "epic" atmosphere of that album to be pretty off-putting and frustrating - particularly the constant use of backing vocals and a very slow, plodding pace. This album is much more toned-down by comparison and way more listenable in my eyes (ears?). Some of the lyrics worked for me. Same goes for the instrumentals. I liked the more traditional instruments (particularly the acoustic guitar), but I found the background ambience and "fuzzy sound" that is on a lot of these tracks to be pretty alienating. I'm confident that I will never return to this album, but I can appreciate this album for what it is. I've heard that Arcade Fire are influential in the space of contemporary pop, which I can see. The huge, thundering instrumentals and alternative, hipster-y lyrics are definitely present in today's music. I wish I could consult the book entry to see what caused this album to make it in, but alas. I have the 2005 edition.

Ok but just kind of basic, run-of-the-mill alt-rock

Interesting, enjoyable. At times sounds like Rhett Miller of Old 97s doing some of the more eccentric Bowie stuff, sometimes feels like it's getting to Springsteen's trapped in a blue collar vibe. The organ is great. Pretty solid album I may or may not ever go back to. Actually very glad I experienced this one before I died.

4 / 10

This is still probably my favorite Arcade Fire album, which does not seem to be a popular opinion. I sometimes wonder if it was just because it was my first exposure to them. But then when I go back and listen to it I still feel like it is their overall best. Maybe the specific sound of the album just resonates with me personally.

Spaced out junk

Neon Knights in a Neon Ballroom reading their Neon Bible

3 of these fucking albums by these cunts now, I hope their house fucking catches fire Music was ok tho

Trash

My favorite Arcade Fire album as well as an all-time favorite.

Folksy soft rock with synthy/ambient orchestration, ahead of its time (considering Mumford and Sons and Lumineers coming some years later). Springsteen-esque in places (Intervention). Killers-like too Not enjoying much in particular though.. Best track - No cars go

You can tell this album came out in the 2000s. The whole time I felt like the songs were building up to a crescendo of sort that never came, and that went on for too long. I will say "No Cars Go" did scratch that itch a bit but not enough. It should have ended with that song. Having "My Body Is a Cage" be the last song felt like it ended with a soft fart.

These guys have a unique alternative style. Keep The Car Running is a great song. In general the album has a little angsty and nostalgic feel to it. Some of the songs really seem to drag. Not sure when I would ever want to listen to this, but it's not terrible. I feel sort of neutral about it.

Meh

I never got super into this band but always respected the direction they spearheaded with their indie-electro vibes. Neon Bible feels darker and more cinematic than their debut - there's a weight to it that sticks with you, even if it doesn't fully pull me in.

Хорошо звучит, версия 2017 тоже норм

Really good. Strong songs with sone lulls for me imo. I will listen to their other stuff.

Call me crazy, but this is like a neon, folky, techno future version Bruce Springsteen. Lots of soul and folksy charm but with a real dark side to some of the music. Really atmospheric, I really love this album.

My feelings about Arcade Fire as they currently exist are very complicated. Win Butler has shown no contrition, no humility, no regret in the wake of the many allegations against him. The only consequence he, and the band, seem to have suffered is that their new music is about as engaging as wet newspaper. Knowing what we know now does make parts of Neon Bible feel different. (Antichrist Television Blues) and its manic street preaching feels like absolute snake oil now, and it didn't used to. Bad Vibrations feels ominous in a different way, but it also makes me hope, now, that it's true. That the things Win is running from do eventually consume him and drag him to the bottom of the ocean. Still, this album, and particularly its closing salvo of Windowsill - No Cars Go - My Body is a Cage, is so inextricably tied to an emotionally turbulent time in my life, and I have to honor that version of me, who survived long enough to write about it.

Couple of absolute belters on here. Always was a shame about this band's personality. Anecdotal observation: The fact that dudes who see this type of band as the peak of indie don't like Wire and Black Flag sums up my issue with this sort of band and their sort of fans.

Felt very meh about this one. It sounded similar to other 2000's indie rock and I couldn't follow the album theme.

Knew of this band's existence, but man they lack a presence or solid sound, dope name though. Latter half of Ocean of Noise sounded awesome but the rest of the tracks just felt empty and void of personality. I'm thinking its the lead singer, his style is just not for me, its a sort of whisper yell, and its not unique enough to stand out. I really enjoyed the outro of No Cars Go too. The album should've ended there.

Excellent. Heard it before a a underattted album but Neighbourhood is a bit better

so lala.

Nice album but about expected for indie rock.

5 Stars, Baby!

I hadn’t heard of Arcade Fire at all until this challenge, but I definitely intend to explore more of their discography in the future. I really enjoyed this album, and it reminded me of Automatic For The People, which I expected, but also of Bruce Springsteen, which was a pleasant surprise. Favorite Track: Windowsill

Consider this a protest rating. Arcade Fire has 3 albums on this list and they are maybe one of the more overrated indie bands of all time - lots of hype and a little light on originality to my ears. Here’s three (four) indie rock classics that are excluded from this list and are worth your time: - Yo La Tengo’s “I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One” (even Rolling Stone recognizes this album’s greatness, ranking it #423 on their top 500 of all time - ranked higher than Arcade Fire’s Funeral at 500.) - Broken Social Scene’s “You Forgot it in People” from 2002. - Built To Spill, either Perfect From Now on Or Keep it Like a Secret. I prefer Keep it Like a Secret, but both should have been considered for this list. Another user called the first three Arcade Fire records “a holy trinity of indie rock” which…I literally can’t even. Maybe if you think that Radiohead is “like totally the best indie rock band of all time”, they would be, but that is a) untrue and b) a wholesale misunderstanding of the history of indie rock. Sorry to call you out, anonymous reviewer(s), but come on. This is a band that wears its influence on its sleeve - Springsteen and Bowie in particular on this record. I have no problem with either of those as influences, but like LCD Soundsystem, I don’t feel like this band does enough to take their influences and do something interesting or unique with them, instead they’re just paying homage. I mean, really…the Springsteen is laid on thick here - to the point that it starts to feel like parody. Getting to back the original point: there are better indie bands, there are better indie records. Neon Bible’s inclusion here ends up being at the expense of other, better music.

Black Mirror // Neon Bible // Intervention // Black Wave / Vibrations // Ocean of Noise // (Antichrist Television Blues) // Windowsill // No Cars Go // My Body Is a Cage 4.5/5

An utterly there album. I just don't like arcade fire. 2nd song at least had something.

Neon Bible ist das zweite Studioalbum der kanadischen Indie-Rock-Band Arcade Fire. Es wurde größtenteils in Montreal aufgenommen, wobei einige Teile auch in verschiedenen Studios in den USA produziert wurden. Die Band setzte erneut auf die Zusammenarbeit mit ihrem langjährigen Produzenten, Mark Lawson. Das Album erschien 2007 und folgt auf das Debütalbum Funeral von 2004, das für die Band bereits großen Erfolg brachte. Musikalisch bewegt sich Neon Bible zwischen Indie-Rock, Barock-Pop und Elementen aus Post-Punk. Die orchestralen Arrangements, gepaart mit melancholischen Klaviermelodien und einer dynamischen Instrumentierung, sorgen für eine eindrucksvolle Atmosphäre. Besonders hervorzuheben ist der Song "Intervention", der mit seinem dramatischen Aufbau und dem Einsatz von Kirchenorgeln zu den stärksten Momenten des Albums gehört. Auch der Track "Keep the Car Running" hebt sich mit seinem treibenden Rhythmus und der pulsierenden Energie hervor. Das Album enthält auch "No Cars Go", das in einer überarbeiteten Version aus früheren Demos des Bands erscheint. Thematisch behandelt Neon Bible düstere und gesellschaftskritische Themen, darunter Religion, Konsumismus und die politische Lage. Der Titel des Albums verweist auf das Bild einer "neonbeleuchteten Bibel", was die ironische und kritische Haltung der Band gegenüber modernen Werten und Institutionen unterstreicht. Im Vergleich zum Vorgänger Funeral zeigt Neon Bible eine reifere und komplexere Herangehensweise an Songstruktur und Klang, was die Band als vielseitige Musiker etabliert. Zwar ist das Album weniger zugänglich und direkter als das Debüt, doch es bietet tiefere Einblicke in die Ängste und Sorgen der Band zu dieser Zeit. Neon Bible ist ein ambitioniertes und musikalisch dichtes Album, das Arcade Fire in einem weiteren kreativen Schritt zeigt. Es spricht sowohl durch seine anspruchsvolle Musikalität als auch durch seine lyrische Tiefe an. Wer die Band schätzt, wird auch hier viel zu entdecken finden, auch wenn das Album nicht ganz die Zugänglichkeit des Debüts bietet.

I've only started listening to Arcade Fire within the past year. It's not that I hadn't heard of the Canadian indie rock group in passing before, but I had never felt the desire to seek them out until recently. Their second album Neon Bible is my first full-album experience with them, and I enjoyed it for the most part. The first aspect I will credit Arcade Fire with is in the song composition, where these songs were written with irresistible catchy melodies using a wide variety of instruments. From the grand organ, acoustic guitar strumming and light xylophone motif that opens "Intervention", to the stomp-and-holler complete with the string accompaniment on "Keep the Car Running", and the lush quiet storm with the piano dirge on "Ocean of Noise", these people had a knack for creating some hooks even with the looming dread that eminates from this album. That sense of dread is there for a reason, as lyrically Neon Bible goes for the gloomy outward look at people being bought in to their obsessions. From the corporate overreach that lurks in the background in "Keep the Car Running", the addiction to electronic devices in "Black Mirror", the gripping control of organized religion in the title track and "Intervention", and the desperate escape from one's past in "Black Wave / Bad Vibrations", the group pulls from different perspectives of people who lose themselves in what they choose to take in. At various points such as on "Black Mirror", "Ocean of Noise" and "Black Wave", the ocean is used as a larger metaphor for the individual going deeper and losing their self-control. It certainly makes for a big swing at a cohesive narrative. The problem I have with Neon Bible though is that the lyrics aren't as deep as the ocean they narratively draw from. It's not that they aren't trying to make a point, but rather it comes off as more vague and trying to have universal appeal without getting visceral or damning, save for maybe "(Antichrist Television Blues)" which drew parallels from Joe Simpson's management of his singer-songwriter daughters Jessica and Ashlee to create a tale of the pious Christian father that sexually exploits his little girl. Although even that song is tonally questionable as a jaunty, Springsteen-esque tune. Also, it felt weird that the last two tracks were the anthemic uplifting "No Cars Go" followed by the dreary, contemplative closer "My Body is a Cage". Both songs are fine on their own, but the one-two succession of them left me with a bizarre sonic whiplash. Still, overall I did enjoy Neon Bible, as it was clear for their second album, Arcade Fire went for more ambitious strides. I'd consider it a nice transitory album that was hopefully followed up with a better outing.

There are a couple of good songs here, but beyond that, Neon Bible feels pretty uninspiring. It has the grand, dramatic sound Arcade Fire is known for, but much of it just doesn’t stick. It’s not a bad album, just one that doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression.

This seems like a pretty recent addition to the list of albums (2007). I’ve heard of this group but have been unfamiliar with their music until now. The album title and the organ throughout give it a religious feel. I like a few of these tracks but not quite enough for me to give it 4 stars.

Wow, we're on a hot streak of modernity! I didn't realise Black Mirror (the show) was partly inspired by the Arcade Fire song. So, I like indie, Canadians, and baroque pop, but somehow Arcade Fire never really hit for me: the vocals are a little too muddled in the music for my preference, I think. However, I adore 'No Cars Go'; it's one of my favorite songs (in general, not just on this album). On the strength of that track alone this album gets a '4'. Other Highlights: 'Intervention', 'Black Wave/Bad Vibrations'

i love this shit

The Neon Bible tour was fun. I'm probably rating this higher than it deserves.

I like the musical aesthetic that Arcade fire have. Kind of like a background music version of radiohead. Arcade fire has a knack for making music feel grand and impactful. Kind of like an alternative imagine dragon. I had a good time listening to it while I was hiking around a lake so I'm a little biased.

I think I've come to terms with the fact that I just don't like Arcade Fire. The idea of recording this in a renovated church with organs and big strings and whatnot is pretty cool, and I applaud it. It works with about 3 of the songs on this record and the rest sound like shit and don't work out in my ears the way I suspect the band thinks they would. Ultimately, that's just because I don't like the way they sound at all. This is the third album we've gotten from Arcade Fire and they all sound the same. I think I was just the wrong age when they were a big deal to appreciate what they are trying to do as for me the whole thing is just a gigantic effort in attempting to sound huge and serious but it comes across as a parody of that. This album is the worst offender in this precisely because of the way they recorded it. They get close - "My Body is a Cage" and "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" can almost be called ruined post rock, but it's still ruined. I have no idea if this is true but I imagine the male singer has an ego the size of a skyscraper and I bet he's insufferable. That's the vibe I get from all this. Personal opinion of course, but I am pretty done with this band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLrxp9OOSbc Maybe it's due to my underexposure with Indie/folk/whatever you call this, but the Arcade Fire seem fresh to me in terms of sound and I'm sure it was great in 2007. I like it.

10/10. This album felt very poetic. The structure of the album is very nice, and it is an incredible listen!!! :)

I liked it -- chill and I picked up on the apostastic(?) themes. I listened through it once but I will certainly pick it up again soon.

Der Sound ist sehr "voll", also man hört sehr viele Instrumente was finde ich dazu führt das die "Räumlichkeite" etwas verloren geht und man als hörer etwas überfordert ist wo man hinhören soll bsp black mirror. Die intros der Lieder haben mir sehr gut gefallen auch den Warme klang,der nehme ich an durch den Bass sehr gefördert wird, mag ich Der Einsatz von Instrumenten wie einer Orgel und dem Chorus schaffen eine etwas melancholische Atmosphäre und wiederspiegeln glaube ich das Thema des Albums (neon bible) wieder

Sonically pretty huge. Decent listen

7/10

it’s decent. lead singer sounds like a precursor to early 2010s stomp clamp music

Despite the grandiosity, it lacks the impact of Funeral.

Decent, but not a patch on Funeral or The Suburbs.

An odyssey that I couldn’t really join

Solid good album, I like the grand and triumphant sound on this album and it's a classic indie rock album for sure.

Fantastic album. It's hipster bullshit, and I like it.

This was a pretty decent album, but I never really felt like it got all the way there. It felt like it was building towards something, without a finale/goal. Didn't hate it, production quality was solid, but I probably won't be returning to this one.

It’s alright. Not a huge fan.

1️⃣Intervention 2️⃣The Well and tge Lighthouse 3️⃣(Antichrist Television Blues) 4️⃣ Windowsill 5️⃣No Cars Go

not bad, bit samey at times, but interesting

A couple of really good songs. Enjoyed it. Definitely a high 3

**An ok album

Ok

Brilliant

Kinda bouncy, but considering how much I loved Funeral (despite giving it less than 5 stars - time has not been super kind), this feels a little like Arcade Fire does Arcade Fire. Surprised this is what got them commercial success, and actually don't remember why I mostly ignored it when it came out - I guess it sounds bigger? Probably still wouldn't have hooked me the way Funeral did. Anyway, I was planning on giving this a three but it grew on me in kind of the same way some of the songs grow a little bigger without me realizing it, then the middle was kind of muddled, but then it ended strong. If it weren't for Intervention I'd probably knock it down a peg.

Slowly started to just drag on and on. One and done.

Es un gran trabajo, no conocía este disco y se convirtió en uno de mis top 15

Not on par with their other records, but still makes for a good listen Favorite track: Neon Bible other picks: black mirror, intervention (cool organ sounds), ocean of noise, no cars go

Good album, had a lot of climactic moments. Stand-out: Intervention, My Body Is a Cage

The highs are just as great as funeral, but there are some lows. Which are still pretty good..

Doesn't reach Funeral greatness, but close.

Plågsamt att lyssna på till en början. Blev fysiskt tröttare av första halvan, där temat verkar vara misär. Andra halvan överraskar med med mer upplyftande melodier. Förväntade mig inte alls det så stort plus för vändningen. Rättfärdigar helt mörkret i första halvan. Gick från ”åh nej inte tio låtar av sånt här” ”tack för en fin resa och skildring av människan”. ”My Body Is A Cage” sopar mattan med resten av albumet.

Some excellent songs on this one. At its best, the album has a driving energy with plenty of big, anthemic songs. The pacing gets a little muddy in the middle — a few too many slow-moving, 5-minute tracks — but the highlights are still more than strong enough to put this in near-classic territory. I never noticed before how much “(Antichrist Television Blues)” sounds like a Bruce Springsteen song. He seems like a big influence on Arcade Fire. “My Body Is a Cage” is an incredible song. There’s no other song in Arcade Fire’s catalogue quite like it. It’s such a show-stopper.

It took me a really long time to start to get into this band and I've never heard this album so I'm excited going in. Right from the jump, it only takes about a minute and a half to get into their anthemic piano-pumping indie rock sound. It's a sound I like, and I'm happy to hear it. It gets loud, it gets soft, it sounds like Bruce Springsteen evolved at times, it also sounds inherently unique at times. On track 2, "Keep the Car Running", I can tell that more modern bands have looked at this sound as an inspiration. This one feels very "The 1975" to me, despite coming years later. "No Cars Go" is a solid track too, great melancholic guitar parts that provide a nice foundation for layers on top like trumpets, tremolo picked guitars, and of course the textured vocals. Nice album. I think it's just short of a 4, but so close that it rounds up. I wouldn't feel right giving it a 3.

I enjoy the atmosphere/sonic choices that were introduced by recording in a church. The usage of ann organ winds up being a really unique piece and creates a hollow and distinct sound across several of the songs. This album is 2000’s indie to the core, and while it is a worthy effort, I think its aged a little poorly and at moments feels fairly mediocre compared to other early Arcade Fire projects.

Was gonna give it a 4, but I can’t help but give a 5, I love Arcade Fire.

Great album, I haven't listened to it in a while, because the singer is a bit problematic, but the mix of Springsteen with the dark dystopian themes living in a post 9/11 world we're captured beautiful here.

Better than expected. Lots of tasty melodies and unique vocals.

I had no expectations but I was pleasantly surprised — a short and well-crafted pop record from an era I like to call «The musical dark age».

Pretty decent all the way through, no cars was really good though

Favorite Track: Ocean of Noise

Loved it

Really took a few listens for me to appreciate this one. On first listen it really is just so "arena-rocky" and noisy and even overproduced. With subsequent playthroughs I was able to get past this and hear some nice melodies, with decent lyrics as well. 7/10

Correcto

I really wanted to love this album based on the fact that the album cover really caught my attention. I did enjoy it, but it was a far cry from blowing me away. It felt hard to categorise where in the broad spectrum of “rock music” that this lands in. It was softer than I expected, but also wasn’t afraid to get weird at times. In theory, it’s the kind of music that I often love, but this just didn’t really grab me for whatever reason. Again, I enjoyed it, but I don’t particular want to listen again.

I hate Arcade Fire

I love this album. Probably my favorite Arcade Fire album. It has such a full sound and no skip tracks for me.

Too melodramatic and overwrought, ultimately. There are good songs here, but the palette wears on me in totality. Standout track is: “(Antichrist Television Blues)” which could honestly be a Springsteen track. It’s wild.

Kind of a middle of the road album for me. Ok but just that OK. Did like "Keep the Car Running" and Black Mirror was fine. Fine seems to be the theme here - nothing blew me away.

7/10 This band has a whole lot of talent, this album was pretty good, intervention and my body is a cage are up there with their best work. 2-06-2025

This is a great album, very reminiscent of a time in my life

Arcade Fire rules

1 stern

Such a unique album. It had a pretty big impact on me at the time of release and was great to revisit. What a thoughtful project with some very epic moments.

I enjoyed the backstory on the church and appreciated it as a theme I'm the album. The existential lyrics were haunting but enjoyable

Who would have thought crossing moody orchestral emo indie rock and with Bruce Springsteen would make for one great indie album. This albums is only surpassed by its follow up as their best work. (11 known/18 new)

I would listen to this again.

Liked every song

I was very impressed by this album. My Body Is A Cage had been on my Liked List for some time, but for some reason I never bothered to explore more of Arcade Fire’s work. I definitely should have checked this album out sooner. Indie with a HUGE sound, and a surprising amount of similarities to Bruce Springsteen. I was into it.

All I’m saying is that it’s very fitting that we get these guys on the day of the Grammys. Arcade Fire again huh. Unfortunately I don’t think this will be the last time we see them, I’m still waiting for “Funeral” which is their big record thats really worth its weight in gold. Early on, the formula is still clear here: anthemic ho-hey’ing that juxtaposes bits of suburban utopia with all sorts of existential unease. “Intervention” is a sign of the times song about the war in Iraq, and I’m honestly surprised it took four tracks to get to protesting that time of American imperialism - three years earlier, American Idiot blew the doors down for any band to throw its hat in the protest ring. This makes sense as a follow-up record: you just won album of the year, why charge it up? Go ahead and use this album as you would the aforementioned Funeral - put it on and ride your bike through a town like Mill Creek WA on a nice summer evening. Welcome the nice breeze in your face as you guide on the empty, smooth neighborhood roads. Notice the strangeness of a gated community or all the American flags on the excessively nice, eerily quiet houses.

It’s ok.

Such a big and vibrant sound, and a compelling protest album. I remember listening to this when I was in the peace corps not wanting to ”live in my father’s house no more”. Also, I spend a lot of my time both staring at and trying to avoid black mirrors, a modern curse. The sound holds up and manages to shake off the late 2000s/2010s Ho-Hey-ification. My one gripe that pulls this album out of being a 5 is that it relies heavily on, and is derivative of, Bruce Springsteens singing style. It could have done with teaspoon less of that.

May be a grower.

So much of this indie hipster early 2000s sound is really just ordinary pop music. This is about as experimental as Coldplay. It’s just a lot of overhyped nothing.

I did not enjoy it. The extra sounds masked the lyrics too much.

Annoying

Imponerad, Arcade Fire var mycket bättre än jag trodde. Inte riktigt nivån för en femma - men det finns absolut låtar jag kommer återvända till.

Feels huge but also kind of claustrophobic. The sound is packed—church organs, heavy drums, voices layered on voices. It’s got some U2 in the grandness, maybe a little Echo & the Bunnymen in the gloom. There’s beauty in the chaos, something desperate underneath. It really goes for it!

Sounds like long lost hope Swelling from dark frantic hooks Yearning to be heard

Interesting.

This whole album has such a total flow and feel to it. It's interesting and meditative and sometimes it freakin slaps.

Esse eu achei legal! Vou ouvir mais

Not my favourite bit still a decent album by Arcade Fire

arcade fire es todo todo top

Intervention is an excellent song! So why are most of the other tracks so nondescript and dull? At times there are glimpses of greatness, but for the most part, the songs just plodd on. Like Antichrist, wicht coule be décent, but is at least two minutes too long. 3 stars for 4-song run that starts with Intervention and ends with The Well And The Lighthouse and the excellent production

tja, nicht so meins. auch wenn es als hintergrund noch einigermassen taugt. vielleicht zuwenig konzentriert hingehört?

Zwar Independent aber ohne Profil

Enjoyable alternate album

i bought this the day it was released, same as i did with funeral (not so much a brag as evidence of my being a dyed-in-the-wool pitchfork-reading piece of shit.) it was my 18th birthday. i remember being disappointed by Neon Bible at first but i still played it on repeat for months. at least it had a better version of no cars go than the original ep. listening for the first time ages, just a few weeks shy of its 18th anniversary, i gotta stand by my gut reaction. no cars go might be their best song but the new material doesn't do anything that Funeral didn't do better. their records go downhill pretty hard after this one. years of the band's insufferable cornballism and rock star bullshit have revealed them to be as shallow and phony as every other rock band that came before them.

Such a great piece of art. This blew my mind when it dropped and it was great to get back to it.

I never really knew Arcade Fire that well. I really like their use of crescendo. It’s a seldom overdone musical technique in my opinion and I was pleasantly surprised by Intervention in particular. The album overall didn’t blow me away but it has intrigued me into listening to this band more. Feels like a band and maybe even an album that pays off the more you listen to them/it. Probably going to return at some point.

it turns out im not really a huge arcade fire fan. listened to this on friday, and all i can recall is the back half of the album was stronger in my opinion. regarding the small blurb that showed up with this album - "Publications like NME and IGN praised the album for its grandiose nature, while Rolling Stone and Uncut opined that it resulted in a distant and overblown sound." I tend to agree with the latter.

Generally okay, but I don’t know why “We Will Fall” was included in the album, and I don’t know why it had to be 10 minutes long.

I remember peak indie rock years when their subsequent album won album of the year at the Grammys and I tried to get into them but just wasn’t a fan. I think time has really helped because going back to this album I feel like I liked it a lot more. There’s a number of standard indie rock sounds (keep the car running is like the template indie rock sound around this time) while also having a few weird/unique sounds to make it more “indie” (black mirror, intervention, windowsill). I wish the lead singer was a little better. Like he’s trying to do a vibrato thing like Muse lead singer but isn’t quite as good. I would say low 4 high 3.

Similar to the last album. Good components but strong enough for a 3. Sorry for the weak reviews. Almost caught up!

Keep the Car Running sounds like a Bruce Springsteen song. I have heard of Arcade Fire but never really knew much about them. A little mundane and hard to immediately see why it’s on the list. I didn’t dislike it, but I wasn’t all that interested throughout.

Fuck it. I listened to this album driving home at midnight while stoned. I couldn't think of a better environment for this album. 5 stars

I was kind of looking forward to this one. I'd heard of Arcade Fire and how highly regarded they and their albums are but had never heard any of their songs before. I don't really know what all the fuss is about to be honest. Whiny and dull is what I got from this album, and this is meant to be one of three of their holy trinity of work. I just hope the other two are better than this. Nothing really reached out and grabbed me, I was struggling to find a song that really stood out. Maybe 'The Well And The Lighthouse' and '(Antichrist Television Blues)' because they upped the tempo a bit after the slow tunes. I quite liked 'No Cars Go' because it sounded quite similar to the Prefab Sprout classic 'The King Of Rock 'N' Roll'. I wouldn't say I outright disliked this, but I was bored, and sometimes that's worse. At least if you don't like something you have feelings about it. With this album though, I wouldn't care in the slightest if I never listened to it again. I certainly don't think I needed to listen to it before I died.

Decent but I've never been a big fan of Arcade Fire

One of my favorites. Too short, too sweet.

No es mi fav de arcade pero lo amo

Good album. I like this album but no standout songs to me. Enjoyable band in concert. A few of the songs sound like Springsteen’s songs in a good way. Enjoyed keep the car running , Antichrist tv blues and no car go

3 puntitos

I found this pretty unbearable, I don't know what it is about his voice but it's a cheese grater on my ears, the music I guess is fine but it seems to substandard Cali/Indie rock it just faded into nothingness for me

Big full sound Impactful lyrics High highs, and even lower lows

Boppy and chill - good to work to

I just can't. I've never been able to appreciate this band.

I really like Arcade Fire and was glad of an excuse to relisten to this, but are all of their first three albums really necessary on this list? I do really like this album but for me it's not on the level of Funeral or The Suburbs which I've already had on the generator. Very good album but not sure it should be included on the list. Fav tracks: Keep the Car Running, My Body is a Cage, No Cars Go

body is a cage was in house md episode where he jumps into the water after cuddy breakup intervention<3 8.5-9/10

Not heard many of the album tracks before. 14 catchy 3 minute pop songs - hard to dislike

Il y a des disques qu'on attend comme le Messie et d'autres qui vous tombent dessus sans crier gare. Le premier album d'Arcade Fire, "Funeral", faisait partie de la deuxième catégorie. Une météorite d'émotions brutes, une claque monumentale venue de Montréal qui avait mis tout le monde d'accord en 2004. Un de ces rares disques qui vous font dire : "OK, il y a un avant et un après". Forcément, après un tel chef-d'oeuvre, l'épreuve du deuxième album relevait de la mission suicide. On les attendait au tournant, les Canadiens, le fusil chargé, prêts à dégommer le moindre signe de faiblesse, la moindre redite. Et puis "Neon Bible" est arrivé en 2007. Et le moins qu'on puisse dire, c'est qu'ils n'ont pas choisi la facilité. Là où "Funeral" était une explosion de deuil et de célébration de la vie, un disque tourné vers l'intérieur, vers la catharsis personnelle, "Neon Bible" regarde au-dehors. Et ce qu'il voit n'est pas beau. C'est un disque sur l'Amérique de Bush, sur la paranoïa post-11 septembre, sur la vacuité de la foi télévisée et la peur constante d'un monde qui part en couilles. Le titre à lui seul est une trouvaille de génie : la Bible de Néon, ce symbole parfait d'une spiritualité de pacotille, aveuglante mais sans chaleur, une publicité pour le salut. Pour accoucher de ce monstre sombre et angoissé, le groupe a fait un choix radical et terriblement logique : ils se sont enfermés dans une église. Pas pour prier, non, mais pour enregistrer. Et ça, ça s'entend à chaque seconde car l'église n'est pas juste un lieu, c'est un instrument à part entière. La réverbération naturelle donne une ampleur folle à chaque note, et surtout, il y a cet orgue. Cet orgue d'église, massif, omniprésent, qui transforme des morceaux rock en véritables hymnes funèbres ou en sermons apocalyptiques. C'est puissant, c'est grandiloquent, parfois jusqu'à l'excès. C'est là le problème car "Neon Bible" est un disque de montagnes russes. Quand on est au sommet, on touche le ciel. "Intervention", avec son orgue majestueux qui semble vouloir faire s'écrouler les murs de la chapelle, est un moment de grâce absolue. "Keep the Car Running", avec son rythme effréné et sa mandoline urgente, est un tube parfait, tendu comme un arc. "No Cars Go", une ancienne composition ressuscitée ici dans une version épique, vous donne envie de courir à en perdre haleine vers un horizon incertain. Et que dire de "My Body Is a Cage", cette conclusion spectrale où la voix de Win Butler, au bord de la rupture, implore la libération sur un crescendo d'orgue et de cordes à vous filer la chair de poule. Ces morceaux-là sont des monuments. Ils justifient à eux seuls le statut de grand groupe d'Arcade Fire. Mais il y a les creux. Entre ces sommets vertigineux, l'album s'essouffle parfois un peu. La grandiloquence, si elle sert magnifiquement certains titres, en plombe d'autres. On a parfois l'impression que l'ambiance et la production prennent le pas sur les chansons elles-mêmes. L'album est sombre, c'est une évidence, mais il lui manque par moments la flamme, la fragilité bouleversante de "Funeral". C'est un disque plus cérébral, plus conceptuel, et forcément un peu plus froid. On sent le poids de l'attente, la volonté de faire un "grand disque" sérieux et important. C'est tout à leur honneur, mais ça se fait au détriment de la spontanéité. C'est un excellent album, un très, très bon album même, mais il n'a pas cette perfection viscérale de son prédécesseur. Il y a, à boire et à manger. En 2007, j'avais été impressionné par l'audace et l'ambition de la démarche. Ils auraient pu nous resservir la même soupe, ils ont préféré explorer des territoires plus hostiles. Rien que pour ça, chapeau bas. Mais avec le recul, je dois admettre que c'est un disque que j'admire plus que je n'écoute en boucle. C'est une oeuvre dense, intimidante, qui demande un certain état d'esprit pour s'y plonger. "Neon Bible" est la confirmation qu'Arcade Fire n'était pas un feu de paille. C'est le disque qui a assis leur statut de groupe majeur de notre siècle, un groupe qui a des choses à dire et qui se donne les moyens sonores de ses ambitions. Il n'est peut-être pas parfait, mais ses sommets sont si hauts qu'ils pardonnent largement ses quelques vallées. Un beau 4 sur 5. C'est la note d'un disque qui a frôlé le chef-d'oeuvre, qui a eu l'intelligence de ne pas vouloir être un "Funeral numéro 2", et qui, malgré ses quelques pesanteurs, reste une pièce maîtresse dans la discographie d'un groupe essentiel. Un disque à écouter dans le noir, très fort, en pensant à la fin du monde.

I’ve listened to the other band’s highly acclaimed album Funeral, and actually enjoyed this more. I hesitate to rate this as highly as I do as it’s critical of Christianity, but nevertheless its artistic merit should be noted. No misses for me in this whole album. Springsteen if he was a millennial growing up in the American northwest.

better than expected, still not my cup of tea

sort of a nostalgic sound but overall very nice

Outstanding production and some great musical performances. This one was incredibly thought-provoking when I was a teenager and is slightly less so now but only slightly. Great reaction to the ascendency of mass media and most of all George Bush - probably 4.5

Never been a tremendous Arcade Fire guy but this is a good one

More classic rock than expected, Springsteen-ish at times, John Cafferty-ish . Sounds like indie rock of its time. Generally ok

Pretty great! Actually feels like Indie Pop -- definitely accessible and uses rock textures, but has some fun imagery and this fun almost macabre aesthetic. and isnt afraid of dissonance

not a fan

Favourites: Black Mirror; Keep the Car Running; Intervention; No Cars Go

During my indie phase (circa 2014-15) I was quite into Arcade Fire, especially The Suburbs, but I didn't enjoy this return to them after many years. I found it really musically disinteresting and didn't even make it through the whole album

Soft 5. I liked this album more than "Funeral" and thought the overall composition was better. I loved the instrumentals and the vocal work was enjoyable! I'm particularly biased towards organs though. 'My Body is a Cage' was a fave from here. Honestly, I'd be willing to (and likely will) revisit both "Funeral" and "Neon Bible" at some point. Maybe even their whole discography, as they're pretty in line with my tastes.

I like listening to this album from beginning to end. 5/5

almost a 3.5, but something between that and 3

Boring. There’s a reason I don’t go to church.

Ooh. I'm okay with this! I listened to Funeral about 11 months ago and loved it. I haven't gone back to it that much since then, but my opinion of it is still positive. So, my expectations for its followup, Neon Bible, were fairly high. Of course, I was never expecting it to be better than Funeral, but there aren't a ton of albums that are. So, is Neon Bible a good successor? Yeah, I'd say it is. This album's pretty good. A lot of what I liked about Funeral is still here, albeit in a slightly weaker state. The singing is nice. The instrumental sound is good. The album is generally a bit darker than Funeral, which works pretty well to differentiate the two albums. The pacing is pretty solid. The songs are cool. I like them. I said that the album was darker, but there's still a sense of wonder to be found in songs like "No Cars Go" and "Keep the Car Running" that I love. Overall, while I do prefer Funeral, Neon Bible is still a strong album that proves that Arcade Fire, at least at one point, was a great band. High 4/5.

Some really great songs, strong album.

For sure I will never back to that

This album is very introspective. I’d listen to it while on a long drive or walk. I can compare the story of my life against the lyrics of the songs presented. It’s a good album to distract you from the daily grind.

Boring

I listened to Arcade Fire's first album "Funeral" a ton when it came out and for whatever reason feel like I didn't listen to this album much at all. That being said, listening to this now, it's way more familiar to me than I was expecting it would be, and it's a great album. Really enjoyed listening to this with fresh ears all these years later.

Actually better than i remembered it being. Maybe it doesn't have the emotional punch of Funeral, but the songwriting and performances are top tier. You could definitely make an argument for 'No Cars Go' being their best song.

Este álbum ha sido, acertadamente en mi opinión, eliminado de las nuevas versiones del libro. Creo que no tiene nada de especial; es indie típico de principios de los 2000, con una producción excesiva que le resta intimidad. Muchos efectos, órganos por todos lados, pero poca creatividad. Al menos el álbum de Chvrches era divertido; este, sin embargo, se me ha hecho eterno.

The first album received that I actually owned, 10 days in. It is one of my favourite albums by the group, and I love the group too. An obvious 5/5 for me.

Another Album for the elevator.

Good album. I know they were media darlings but I am so so with this band. They have some amazing songs but they get tiresome after a while.

The Suburbs is just better!

Enjoyed this when it was released, but although it has some great tracks I don't think it's their best album.

Mah”

Mid indie. Nothing special

Primera vez que escuché a este grupo que para muchos es una joya. Bueno, esa joya no la veo en ninguna de sus notas.

5/10, not my type of music but still enjoyable at times. Overall super boring and not able to hold my interest. favorite track was: Black Wave / Bad Vibrations

Not my favorite, but still enjoyed a few songs. My favorites were "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" and "My Body is a Cage".

They have their distinct sound and it's well crafted but it lacks a certain heart 3.5*

2.8

Pretty unexceptional and nothing very memorable but it was an OK listen. Leans closer to a 3 than a 2. 2.5/5

Boring

One of my favourite albums. Bought it on release day and have loved it ever since. Arcade Fires first three albums are one of the great run of albums in history.

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

Pretentious and boring

Bello

I just don't really fw these guys

Listening to this made me feel like I was going to Neon Heaven.

The impossible follow up to a debut classic still hits hard today.

What a perfect end to this new years resolution. I love this album so so much

The birth of millennial indie arena rock. Combining the massive atmospheric post-rock sound and elaborate instrumentation of other Montreal bands like Godspeed and Broken Social Scene with more straightforward up-tempo songs and epic headline melodies (and martial drumming) makes for a hugely effective anthemic album full of drama: building tension, big climaxes and sweeping moments of release.

Not an indie fan but rather enjoyable considering I'm generally unfamiliar with AF.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. Indie noise at best

It was ok, there were some good songs but it all started to sound the same.

Nick Cave or Neil Diamond?

Never heard of them before which is kinda surprising. I really enjoyed the listen Recorded in a church (source: wikipedia) and I think that it added to the sound. that with the orchestral elements (violin, cello, organ, etc.) I really liked the blending with modern through style but the classical instrumentation Sucks that the guy is a sexual predator. I probably would've listened to it differently had I known that

whole lotta yapping. like shut up brother

there is a strange, unnameable, effervescent quality to arcade fire’s music that is tuned to a frequency that evokes the sensation of “Big Feelings”—a distinctly adolescent desperation, an earnest grandiosity of emotion. there’s something about butler’s delivery which somehow sounds hushed even at full volume, how each song slowly builds into this great triumphant climax of chimes and horns and big guitars, like running down a hill and getting faster and faster not consciously but simply due to momentum and gravity. this visceral reaction can trick a person into thinking the music is actually good…BUT DON’T BE FOOLED! it’s not actually that good. it’s a little bit saccharine, a little bit samey, a little bit sincere but not quite enough for me to buy it now as an adult. it’s nothing extraordinary—still, i can’t deny the way it makes my heart twinge slightly. fav tracks: keep the car running; (antichrist television blues)

I’ve enjoyed the Arcade Fire albums we’ve listened to so far. I never thought much about them until now and I do see the appeal and think their music is interesting. I just think a lot of it blends together for me but maybe that would change if I relistened. There were a few songs on here that I thought were exceptionally beautiful but other than that it was mainly just pretty, consistent-sounding background music. *Fav tracks: Ocean of Noise, My Body Is A Cage*

I am an old millenial but I do not get what is soooo amazing about this band or album. They gave me pretentious douche bag vibes from the start (turns out I was right!). As for the album, its not bad...its even somewhat enjoyable, but its nothing special or new or inventive. Black Mirror gave me total Elvis vibes and Intervention sounded like it came straight off a Bruce Springsteen album Would I listen to the album again, sure and I did enjoy some of them but it sounded like a lot of indie millenial alt rock of the time.

I like this band but I've never sunk my ears into a full album. They have several hits that I like. Overall I thought it was a pretty good album but didn't super win me in a "this is what I've been missing all my life" kind of way. I liked: Keep the Car Running, Intervention, AntiChrist Television Blues. I'm about a 3.5 with this album. Could probably get to a 4 with it with a few more listens but maybe they have better albums than this one?

I’ve always viewed Arcade Fire as THE cool band for Millennials…the band that all of the art students were in love with during their prime. My time was during grunge, so listening to this makes me feel like I’m missing out on something. My idea of cool, artsy music is Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, The Flaming Lips, and R.E.M. I do like Arcade Fire. They made one of the most perfect, instant classic songs in the form of “The Sprawl II” from The Suburbs. And yet there are elements of unresolved anxiety and claustrophobia throughout their catalog that keeps me from loving them. Maybe it’s the too tight drums, or the slightly off kilter songwriting, or Winn Butler’s too urgent voice. Maybe that is all their point. Nevertheless, there are a lot of good songs on Neon Bible. Just nothing life altering for me. I would still take The Suburbs over this album.

I really liked Arcade Fire when they first got popular and am pretty familiar with this album. I liked their indie/anti-establishment vibes. They're a bit on the emo side for me now, but this is still a solid album, and it was cool to listen to it again after so long. They have a unique sound and I dig it.

que bronca cuando un album que me gusta mucho está hecho por una persona de mierda, tan difícil es ser un ser humano normal loco??

Never heard the album before. This album is just fine, but I wasn't moved by it and probably won't listen to it again.

It was ok but nothing incredible.

I suspect that I'll be the only one in my "group" that likes Arcade Fire. Sounds like 80's Art Rock music revamped for the 2000's. A little bit of a dark vibe. Favorite songs: Intervention, Keep the Car Running, The Well and the Lighthouse, (Antichrist Television Blues)... actually none of them made me want to skip.

While there's occasionally a decent part of a song, overall I don't like this, and I struggled to pin down why. I was listening to this album on autoplay and then there was a song where I thought: oh, they finally cleaned it up and this one actually sounds good... and it was U2's City of Blinding Lights. Having that comparison helped: Arcade Fire sounds muddy and bombastic without resolution, the singing is alternatively breathless or whining or imploring and almost always pained. I know there are people who enjoy this style, but I don't; I expect the occasional surprise from them, but nothing consistently strong like the Dire Straits we just listened to.

Wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. A lot of variety...love the organ!

A few great songs, and I love the theatre of the organs. But there's a few weaker songs and overall it didn't quite maintain the level of Funeral.

Good enough to revisit later i think

Too much drama

Not nearly as good as the suburbs in my opinion, quite a lot of these songs are more orchestral which I don't think works as well. Overall some great songs though. Favorites: Ocean of noise, no cars go. Overall around 7/10

Pretty good but not great.

Outside of No Cars Go this album preceeded my fandom.

I believe that the instruments didn't do many interesting things and I didn't really like the guy's voice. However there were some pretty good songs on the album.

Very underwhelming and lackluster. Definitely some solid moments, but most of the tracks lack an edge or interesting quality. The album never really evolves beyond indie quirky, and just feels underdone and almost grating at times. Decent, but not worth coming back to. Top tracks: Ocean of Noise, Windowsill

Really well crafted album. I remember all the hype about it when it came out. Back then didn't particularly get it. Listening back all these years later I can now see why it Was so popular.

good

Not convinced that this needed to be on the list. Funeral eats Neon Bible's lunch.

Feels too pretentious and artsy rather than being actually good. It's what I thought Dark Side of the Moon was going to be like before I listened to it and realized it's a masterpiece. This album is really bad and not worth listening to.

Not gonna never been a huge arcade fire fan bar the suburbs but thought this was decent. Thought it was a bit too quiet at times but I did enjoy the middle part and near the end just thought the first few songs weren’t brilliant. The couple of songs were great though. 6.5/10

Nostalgia trip! Had fun revisiting Arcade Fire!

Underwhelming, was hoping for better

Fine

Great Modern take on Springsteen. Too bad that one dude sucks.

Within Arcade Fire's catalogue of three albums that we talk about, this one stands as an oddity of sorts. Harvesting plentifully from their immense ambitions and soundscape engineering yet garnering fewer devotees that either albums that sandwich 'Neon Bible'. I often find myself in the minority of those preferring the dystopian haunts to the urbane folksiness of either 'Funeral' or 'Suburbs'. And perhaps it is in the approach of "no one track should be the defining moment" that I find the most encouragement to keep returning and re-experiencing this as a full album.

It takes me back to the 2010s indy wave. Very enjoyable album!

Very good but not their best by any stretch I don’t think?

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

One really good song over and over

I hadn't heard this one before but I enjoyed it very much, it reminded me of early wolf parade and their adjacent projects like operators, which I guess makes sense in retrospect since dan plays with these guys now. no cars go and black wave/bad vibrations were the highlights for me.

This list bought to you by Arcade Fire, for some undiscernible reason.

It’s pretty good. Some songs, like “Neon Bible” and “Intervention” are very grand and exciting. I enjoyed the chemistry and performance of the band, but the songs not as much. I like it but I wouldn’t call it a must-listen, partly because they have at least 2 albums I would say that about.

Hmmm. Liked it although a bit more churchy and biblical than I would have thought from an indie band. (I guess that was a result of the church they purchased and the title of the album.) Also, never considered an indie band with orchestration behind them. Antichrist Television Blues was well crafted. (Not sure why the title is in parentheses.) Neon Bible comes in at (3.5*s)

This is a solid album, I know and like a lot of songs on it, but it's not as strong as their previous entry The Suburbs (which came next in their discog). I've been listening to Arcade Fire since Rebellion (Lies) broke in 2004 and I think they get better as time passes. I dig their sound and go to them over a lot of other indie bands from the 2000's. 3.25 for the husband-wife duo.

Makes sense this was recorded in a church. I'm glad it wasn't too gospelly. Never was huge into Arcade Fire even though they were huge in 2000s. Are they worthy of the list? Maybe but I'm not sure this album is. I suspect their debut will make it and I think that will be too many from the band. Neon Bible is not bad but only song that stood out was "No Cars Go" which I had heard before. Best track on the album although I didn't really like the harmony choice with 2 leads. One time listen for me...2.15.

This was a solid listen. I was impressed by the diversity of sounds that were on display on Neon Bible. I enjoyed a couple songs enough to add them to my shuffle list which I didn't expect going in. I enjoyed this much more than the prior Arcade Fire entry on the list. This gave me a little more perspective on them as a band and maybe I have to delve in to the a little further. 3.5 stars

4 Stars (11/15)

Too pompous for me. And sad. Not in a "makes you sad" way, but in a "some guy you barely know is sharing his misery with you but you would rather be somewhere else" way

not my album

Doesn't match the soaring sort of heights that funeral attains occasionally. Tends more toward the insufferable hipster stuff they are accused of, but not too close

Strong album. Good songs throughout. My favorite is Ocean of Noise

Previously rated: The Suburbs (3/5) Funeral (2/5) ********************* The users of this site seem to love them some Arcade Fire. More power to them. I don't get much out of it. The only track I really remember is (Antichrist Television Blues), only because I thought it sounded like Bruce Springsteen song. The album is over-produced for my taste.

A bit Bruce Springsteen

very good!

no ion wanna listen to arcade fire one of their better albums. was not expecting to enjoy this.

Not a huge fan of indie rock in general, so Neon Bible didn’t totally land for me. A lot of the songs just blended together and felt like the kind of generic indie rock that never really grabs me. That said, there were a couple of standouts. “Intervention” was a solid ballad — emotional, well-written, and probably the most memorable track for me. But “Ocean of Noise” was the one I actually really enjoyed. Great vibe, moody in the right way, and definitely a cut above the rest.

Saved Prior: Keep the Car Running, No Cars Go Off Rip: Black Mirror, Black Wave / Vibrations, The Well and the Lighthouse, (Antichrist Television Blues), My Body Is a Cage Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Lots of simmering emotion, but we never get the big moments of catharsis that I love in Funeral (My Body Is a Cage gets close but doesn't go for it completely). Still a 4.

7/10. Good album throughout. 3 songs made the playlist. Liked how the album flowed together.

Prefer this album over funeral. Top songs: Keep the car running - sounds like bruce springsteen Intervention My body is a cage Honorable mention- neon bible

Ok

beeeeem sem sal mas não é ruim não

ruim num é. mas sinto que falta algo nesse album aqui, sei lá. é sólido, mas poderia ser mais barulhento, num sei. ficou faltando um temperinho. no mais, no cars go é pedrada viu.

Pretty good, the title track was boring but overall a very engaging album. not something i see myself actively returning too often, funeral and the suburbs are just better

Jeez, so happy to see this pop up. This has been one of my favorites for years. Arcade Fire once meant a whole lot to me and Win really spoiled their magic in my eyes, but the music is still the music. Great stuff, shame about the dude.

You will never be Bruce Springsteen win butler you ugly demon

I tried here as well. I really did, honestly. You gotta understand the thought I was going into this album with: "I thought Arcade Fire only had one — sorry, **two** albums." Legitimately, before this popped up, I'd completely forgotten this band existed outside of THE SUBURBS and, like, FUNERAL, and even that second one took me a moment to recall. 'Coz they've really never meant much to my life other than "one of their albums was widely named Album Of The Year, and that's a random fact I have stored away." I'd know their name if I saw them, but I couldn't tell you what they sounded like, and I was never particularly compelled to find out. And, heck, even after this Randomizer actually had me listen to THE SUBURBS I still couldn't and wasn't. So, here we go with another one. Their second, actually; the one they released between FUNERAL and THE SUBURBS. And if there's a metaphor I wanna use to describe this album, it's based on one that was used for this album: the ocean. Generally, so says Win, it's used here to represent a "loss of control." And you might think I'd use the ocean as a metaphor for the album's expanse, depth and beauty. But, no, no. See, my mind's stuck on the opener, "Black Mirror", which describes an black ocean on a moonless night. And something about that evokes how I feel about this album where I'm trying, honestly, to focus on the water cresting, but it's so hard to and everything jus' kind of melts into each other. It just ain't the kind of water I enjoy lookin' at, y'know? Like, sure, when I do catch something, it's fine — and when the big, bright boat that is "No Cars Go" passes by, I'm all eyes — but for most of the time I'm spending with it, there's just other bodies of water I'd rather deal with. And maybe that metaphor makes sense or maybe it doesn't, I'unno. I found out during the course of the album that I was more tired than I thought I was, and that's no fault of the album, but it sure didn't help any. Even if I wasn't, though... Yeah, I still don't think I'd think much of it. I'll be generous and give it a 3, 'coz I really did like "No Cars Go" just that much, but otherwise... I still can't tell you what Arcade Fire sounds like and I'm still not particularly interested to find out.

2000's Indie was just a special time and place, and this is just one of the albums that proves it. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at an emphatic 5. I loved that. This is the second time we’ve gotten Arcade Fire – I thought The Suburbs was a good album, but for my tastes, it relied really heavily on the “vibes” of the instrumentation and a sort of nostalgic feeling that I don’t know is necessarily cultivated well throughout the course of that album. Going into this one, my biggest hope was for an album that managed to blend the dense lyricism of The Suburbs with a more engaging soundscape, and a more fruitful “narrative” hook that would balance my tastes a bit more. This absolutely nailed what I was looking for – I wasn’t necessarily prepared for a more somber and bitter tone, but this is exactly the type of album that clicks for me. Right from the rumbling tones of the intro in “Black Mirror”, all the way to the desperate plea that ends “My Body Is a Cage”, I just felt captivated and attentive throughout. Whether it was in the instrumental choices (lots of Springsteen influence here, but a bit of ELO-esque bombast as well), the emotion in the vocals (both happy and sad, sometimes painfully so), or the storytelling in the lyrics (big shout to “(Antichrist Television Blues”), I just don’t think this album has a dull moment. There’s always something to pay attention to, and I think it enrichens and rewards me as the listener for caring. I can’t fully explain the nitty-gritty of why this album’s lyricism clicked with me so well, but let’s just say that the way this album tackles religion, and the concept of “God-given justified self righteousness”, really aligns with my take on it. That’s not to say there’s no place for religion that gives someone such confidence, especially if they can turn it into a positive, but this album really deals with the fall from grace and the despair that follows from most people who have that mindset. My favorite moment in the album is the ending to “(Antichrist Television Blues)”, if only because that abrupt cutoff, and the subsequent hanging onto the pure silence gave me chills. That silence is God himself, responding for the first & only time on this album, with nothing but unspoken contempt, and that silence speaks volumes. It’s a brilliant production choice in an album full of them. So, yeah, I thought this was spectacular. Maybe it just hit closer to home, but I think even without that connection, there’s just a great rock soundscape here, and it really shines throughout the album. Some people might dismiss this as preachy, and that’s a bit fair – if it doesn’t click, it doesn’t click, and I can easily see how this could fall on deaf ears (or ears that simply hate indie rock). For my tastes, I loved it. One of the easiest 5’s I’ve given yet.

No my jam but the production and music is descent.

WE BACK!!!! Everything gets a 4 Album had that unique sound that could be expected of some wack-ass indie band no one's ever heard of to try and capture, except this album is actually really good Black Mirror was the best song, although the album never fell off significantly, and there was quite a wide range of different themes within the same style explored. Other notable songs include Keep the Car Running, Intervention (bro is NOT bruce), Black Wave/Bad Vibrations, and No Cars Go. Additionally, the album was only 45 minutes, so it gets bumped up from a 2 to a 5, unfortunately they have a song called "(Antichrist..." so I have to knock them down to 4. (Also there's a lot of 4's I've given out that should probably be 3's, but this one is actually a 4. 4 likes and I'll email the guy)

First song was the best. It doesn't amount to much for me but is better than a lot of the slop on this tracker. Let's go with 2.5.

Although Mr. Win hasn't had many wins in the past decade or so, the initial run of AF records can certainly be counted as a big W. I like to come back to this album every so often just to see how well it holds up when compared to a now, much more saturated "indie album landscape" and I gotta say, it's still among the best. Not many albums manage to have such simplistic arrangements that sound this big. I do think the album drags a bit throughout, but not in any one song in particular. But there are some tremendous tracks here that are required listening for anyone looking to understand more about indie rock.

This entry in the Book of Arcade Fire takes place between its two best chapters and falls short in comparison but remains an essential part of their story.

Good

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

Seems a bit of an odd choice to me. I think suburbs and funeral are both better albums for sure and not sure if arcade fire warrants three albums really assuming those others are on here. "No cars go" is very good and it's not a bad album, but definitely lacks some of the juice some of their other stuff has

this shi fun af

Album divertido, algunas canciones muy buenas, producción interesante, muy bueno que haya sido literalmente grabado en una iglesia. Total album: 80

I thought this album was going to be an easy 5 as I loved it when it was released but it's not as good as I remember it being to be honest. Perhaps that comes from over-listening, but when Spotify played Laika when the album finished, I enjoyed that a lot more. It's still a good album, with several stand out tracks, but it just didn't hit the spot.

I've never decided if I like them or not. I don't think I do.

I never heard of the group but glad I was introduced. The vocalist reminds me of Bruce Springsteen. I especially liked Intervention.

Slow and good vibes.

Angsty, middle-class, suburban, operatic, indie music. I like Arcade Fire

Sounds like Imagine Dragons if they were a Christian Rock band

Если грустно, то пойдёт

their best album by far. yes better than funeral. this is what i wish that album was, tbh

We're in disagreement over our top three Arcade Fire albums. This is actually my favourite, whereas Dork rates this at number 3. Either way, it's worthy of 5-stars. My Body is a Cage is an excellent song, as is No Cars Go. The Well and the Lighthouse is also up there. Best listened to with headphones in and eyes shut - there's a real atmosphere created by this one.

Utterly marvelous. I really enjoyed this a lot. I like Arcade Fire a lot, but have never really spent serious quality time with them.

4.5. Exceptional. Take that Sam

Music made by the type of people that appear to have written their own Spotify bio.

Really strong, lots going on. So many big hitters

I'm a little surprised Arcade Fire has 3 albums on the list. This one is not as good as Funeral but definitely better than subburbs. I like ~5 of the songs.

Great album, and one that figured prominently in an important time in my life, made slightly less great by later revelations of the lead singers problematic behavior.

Do you remember being 18? Idealistic and still impressionable, even if you'd like to think you're not. You go to shows all the time because music means everything to you. And at one show, where you see one of your favorite bands, an amazing, earnest cadre of musicians who blow you away with their talent & insight, you happen to get a few great photos because you're so close to the stage. You tag the musicians and are blown away when one of them actually DMs you. But it quickly goes very very wrong. His messages are flirtatious, provocative. Even though he's married. Even though he's nearly 20 years older than you. You try to figure out how to tell him to stop, but he doesn't. & it just gets worse. I guess the album is okay. But the earnest, self-tortured stylings come across as a just a *bit* false when you know how fucking gross Win Butler is.

This album is interchangeable with Funeral. Some really good songs here, but after a while, I just get quite bored with their sound. Because this album is so indistinguishable from that first one, I wonder why they chose this one and not Funeral? As that has the qualification of being first. 2.5

I'm more familiar with some of Arcade Fire's other albums (e.g. Reflektor and Funeral) but hadn't listened to this one front to back. Loved it, especially the parts with the organ.

own

I don’t get the appeal of this album. Not at all. It is not at all interesting. Nothing makes it stand out to me.

Great album

I really like this, but it seems like an album that needs tons of listens to hang on. I liked the last album we listened to more, so going 3. But, is this a 1001 must?IDK.

"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.

Their sound is recognizable, and although I liked Funeral, I'm a bit frustrated with this one. Their music seems to have lost part of its candor, while not really renewing itself.

The more I listen to this band. The more I like them. That said this doesn't even come close to their album the suburbs

Probably deserves another listen, I was a bit distracted while this was playing.

I don't know. They keep giving me Arcade Fire albums, and I keep finding them competent, but not spectacular. Maybe it's me, maybe it's Arcade Fire, but I must ask as I enter the endgame with this list, to respect my wishes and not make me review any more Arcade Fire albums at this time 3/5

Did you date any pretentious, sad, morally superior, slightly-misogynistic-but-in-an-ironic-way-so-it’s-fine, “sprezzatura”, Morrissey-listeners in the early 2010s? If you didn’t but you inexplicably wish you had, then this is what it felt like. Awarding an additional star purely because I’m a sucker for a clever neon sign.

A notch under debut *Funeral*, *Neon Bible* is, like the latter and follow-up LP *The Suburbs*, a pivotal chapter from Arcade Fire's golden age. I wonder if I have not unfairly given only four stars to *The Suburbs* on this app, by the way, as the latter only struck me with its brillance very recently, just as I revisited it -- if that's the case I can't give more than four stars to *Neon Bible*, even if I love it as well. Truth br told, that sophomore album is *very* close to a 4.5 stars in my book. Which basically means it's close to be rounded up to 5. All ratings shenanigans aside, *Neon Bible* offers a very cohesive yet also slightly disturbing vision of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne's one-of-a-kind indie melodic universe, filled with all sorts of troubled, neurotic, *Confederacy Of Dunces*-like characters trying to adapt to a post-9/11 world, here all gathered in a metaphorical church of sorts for freaks and misfits of all kinds (good thing that the LP was recorded in an actual church -- the echoey sound fits with the songs' moods and thematic imprints so well). This record is very *postmodern*, in a way, which is why its apparent "grandiosity" must be taken with a huge grain of salt, as songs such as "(Antichrist Television Blues)" proves -- and that aspect of the album is still a little misunderstood to this day imho. Another peculiar thing about it is that it picks up steam in its middle, when the formidable "The Well And The Lighthouse" surges. And the album ends on two essential Arcade Fire songs. First there's the epic and mock-utopian "No Cars Go", which is actually a new, more pristine version of a song already recorded for AF's first EP (both versions are great and have assets their counterparts don't have). And then there's the short but extraordinarily soulful "My Body Is A Cage", concluding the proceedings on an absolute bang. If only for that last leg, this album must be in the list. 4/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 9/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4) Number of albums left to review: 8 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 427 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 254 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 314

Helt OK. Inte så catchy och väldigt indy

Dans la tradition du groupe, dense, polyphonique. Ici l'orgue illustre bien les thèmes d'aliénation exploités

I’d probably enjoy it if I listened to it more than once. But one listen didn’t reveal anything special

it's fine, general purpose hipster rock i suppose. wouldn't listen to again. 1.5

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.

I reckon bands like Arcade Fire attract an audience who remain loyal. People like me who never really listened to the band and come to the record a while later often miss that audience's experiences. So I played this pretty much unfamiliar with the band and found it a bit dull and average.

Rating: 8/10

Just about a year since I got The Suburbs on here, this is their second album, which came between Funeral and The Suburbs. While I knew The Suburbs well before this, I hadn't listened to this one at all before. Overall I really enjoyed this a lot. It has a really big sound throughout. They added their violinist on this album, and there are a whole bunch of other orchestra musicians that are involved in this, which gives it this very grand and orchestral sound. Even more minimal songs (like "Neon Bible") feel big, and then there's things like "Intervention" where there's a whole church organ thing going on. I don't have any major complaints about this album overall and I added almost every song to my playlist. It's really consistently enjoyable, but still something feels just a little lacking compared to The Suburbs. I'm perfectly willing to admit that it might just be my familiarity with The Suburbs and this one might grow on me more with time, but I don't think it's quite as strong right now. I do think I might be overly harsh though, as this is music that is 100% right up my alley, so I'm putting it in the context of all the music that I love (much of which isn't on this list). "My Body Is a Cage" is a cold final song though, I'm a big fan. "(Antichrist Television Blues)" is also a highlight on the back half. Anyway, I'm rambling, this is a really solid album by a band that I like a lot. Would recommend. Favorite song: My Body Is a Cage Other: Black Mirror, Keep the Car Running, Neon Bible, Intervention, Ocean of Noise, The Well and the Lighthouse, (Antichrist Television Blues), Windowsill, No Cars Go 11/8/24

Thought I liked arcade fire... Did not like this album.

Ho hum. Nothing spectacular. Nothing bad. Just an 88 mph fastball down the middle.