Getting a bit more time these days to read and rate, leave a msg if I have missed you out : )
Getting a bit more time these days to read and rate, leave a msg if I have missed you out : )
Member since:06.09.2007
Reviews:42
Members who trust:43
This was one of my first ever reviews on Ciao so now having a bit more experience I have decided to update this with more focus on each song: -
Rarely does a band with such hype created by their first album follow it up with something as critically brilliant yet Arcade Fire manage to do just that when creating a record with notable differences to their first. Neon Bible was released amongst a frenzy of publicity that starved Funeral (their first album) and undoubtedly delivered.
'Black Mirror' opens the album with real intent; simple drum beat alongside a simple rythmn guitar but its well the vocals kick in that the song starts to take shape, culminating in some french mixed with english lyrics towards the back end of the track. It shows a slight departure from the 'Funeral' album, arguably a more commercial feel to it. Perhaps a good thing, proving early on they are no one trick pony. 9/10
Most popular song for the everyday music listener is the radio friendly 'keep the car running', which although I appreciate its appeal think there are better songs on the album. 8/10
'Neon Bible' is the title track from the album and lasts all of 2 mins with minimal acoustic guitar illustrating their stripped down, raw style. Another impressive inclusion 8/10
'Intervention' is definately one of the standout tracks from the album with its booming organ that holds the song together all the way through with classic interchanges of vocals between Win and Renee. 10/10
'Black Wave' again has both vocalist but is almost like two songs with its total rthymn change half way through. Although my description sounds like it could come across disjointed it actually fits together really well. Another strong track 8/10
My personal favourite is 'Ocean of Noise' where the album reaches its halfway point and almost feels like it reaches some sort of peak in the bands existence. It almost blends in straight from the previous track and climaxs to a massive cruscendo of musical brilliance half way through. It sounds like you can hear every instrument ever made on one single track and as they recorded the whole thing in an unused church it sounds like it would have been unbelievable experience to be present at the recordings of tracks like these 10/10
'The Well and the lighthouse' is the unfortunate track that has to follow my favourite and thus doesnt reach up to the mark and is one of my least fav songs on neon bible 6/10
'Antichrist TV Blues' sounds like it wouldnt sound out of place on a springsteen record. One that I didnt really get until I saw them live and is one of the growers on the album 8/10
'Windowstill' is one of teh slower ones that are present on the album. The album sounds like it is slowing down by this point and unlike Funeral before this is one of the songs I admittedly skip probably because arcade fire are a victim of thier own success with the strong tracks on this album making others that would be good on other artists albums sound ordinary on their own. 6/10
'No Cars Go' is a remake of one of their own earlier recordings and is a remarkable improvement on what was already a good song. It is jazzed up and is so strong it is a wonder how it appears at the back end of the album due to its often set opener at gigs. 10/10
'My Body Is A Cage' finishes off an album that really takes the band to a new level. Though not the best song to end with it helps secure the bands place amongst the elite and their reputation.
Two albums in and already the band have created a bar for others to dream of surpassing.
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Very good review, im certainly tempted and will download some of the tracks from Itunes. Super
Mitsudan 22.02.2008 17:53
Very good review and your title is exactly right. I hope you'll ask the members who rated it before your update to re-rate as this doesn't deserve the SH ratings it has at the time I'm writing this. David
dharma.roy 29.12.2007 02:02
Good Review, But since this is a music album review you should list all tracks on the album then summarise each track. Include what you thought of each track maybe also you could include information about the instruments that were used or what you thought of the beats. This will help you gain a higher rating, If you are still unsure then check out some of the other reviews on this album or other similar albums to use as a guide to help you improve your review. If you update your review let me know and I will re-rate for you.
How do the Arcade Fire follow-up not just one of the best debut albums ever, but possibly ... more
also one of the best indie albums of all time? Well, Neon Bible is a good place to start. After the success of Funeral, expectations were high for a follow up. Bu...
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