General Note: These lyrics mostly go over my head. Especially the Neighborhood songs. Arcade Fire uses quite a variety of instruments. Each is played with intend, painting a picture that I do not quite get. They are quite proficient in the tug of war between tension and release and like to explore varied instrumentation while staying true to their core "sound". In general, this album is full of sad songs. But there are always hints and glimpses of hope and redemption to be found. The album felt a tad too long at times. It's also not exactly my kind of music. But it is a beautifully crafted and has a story to tell. Do I fully "get" that story? No. But there is enough here to make this a good album. Especially the last song made me feel something and isn't that what music like this is about? In summary, would I listen to this again? No. Do I appreciate the artistry behind it? Yeah, sure. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels): The song invokes the feelings of a childhood romance. Singer sounds a bit whiny. The distortion on the guitar gets a bit jarring on the right ear at times. The buildup and release and around 1:50 was great. Song drags on too long. At around 3min mark the song could be over. Neighborhood #2 (Laika): Like the peppy start. The accordion invokes images of dingy french city streets. The kids shouting in the second go around of the refrain is a bit weird. I do NOT get these lyrics. <- On second read, probably something about a child being abandoned by/abandoning their family? Une Annee Sans Lumiere: Sommery feel. Like the female accentuation in the background, supporting the main artist. The long break at "There's something ... there." was great. The sudden shredding was unexpected and turned what sounded like a classic indie song into something more akin to a skate song. The high intensity was fun. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out): Starts really intense. Feels oppressive and dark at first, and then becomes weirdly uplifting again once the lyrics start. Again with the "twinkling" sounds. Lyrics also support the "winter-y" theme again. Repeated "Whats the plan" combined with the erratic strings sounds like a panic attack in the making. Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles): Weird atmosphere with the distortion sounds wandering from left to right and back again. I don't really know what's going on with the lyrics. The picture it paints is akin to one of those "magic eye 3d pictures", only I can't seem to get my eyes cross-eyed enough to see the true image past the flames. Crown of Live: A disturbing waltz that makes you sway from side to side involuntarily. Feels like the dramatic villain song of an abusive man trying to redeem himself and reclaim what he lost. The sudden swap to Disco-style bass and strings caught me by surprise and actually made me say "what the f***" out loud. Not in a bad way, that part was actually really hype and felt "redeeming". Wake up: Really rocky beginning. Feels like a rock ballad. Lyrics seem to describe the regret of a childhood unspent, leaving the singer regretful and uttering this warning. The return of the sad synth on the left side brings a feeling of cold melancholy to parts of the song, supporting the themes of regret. Arcade seems to like building expectancy in the first 2/3ds of their songs before using their last 1/3 of the song to just do something completely different to support the topic of their song. Haiti: Instruments and sound effects immediately give island vibes. Unexpected to hear someone else be the main singer for once. Song was a bit annoying to listen to in parts. Especially the repeated high-pitched steel drums. Actually had to turn the volume down a bit for this one. Rebellion (Lies): The seamless transition from Haiti to Rebellion was amazing. Really well done. In general a really good song. I'm not entirely sure about the lyrics. Maybe something about looking away/hiding away from injustice? Haiti seems about losing your home. Maybe this is driving the point home that you should do everything you can to stand up to oppressors so that you may not one day see everything you knew lost. In The Backseat: Feels like the ending song to a sad tv show. The slow parts really signify the sadness that follows losing and longing for ones innocence. I like how powerful they made the parts where the singer strides towards adulthood sound. There is something hopeful and sad about having to pick yourself up after a loss. It made me feel something, especially with the long silence at the end.
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