Album Review: The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (4/5)

Now that it's the end of the year, I'm turning my attention to albums I missed earlier in the year, that now for a variety of reasons--awards, year-end lists, friends who insist--I feel I should review. Last week I wrote about Bruce Springsteen's Magic, arguably the year's most acclaimed rock album. Canadian collective The Arcade Fire's second album, Neon Bible, is looking like the year's most acclaimed alternative album (sorry White Stripes). I was disappointed in their first album, 2005's Funeral, which had one great song ("Power Out"), but was largely unfocused.

Neon Bible is an improvement over Funeral, but I'm still not ready to give the band the same pedestal many critics have. There are several good songs, but I feel like too much of it--particularly the second half--sounds the same: a chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga rhythm over a layered soundscape with an overly dramatic male vocalist whose voice is merely so-so.

The albums starts off great though. "Black Mirror," my favorite track, is propulsive, building a great dramatic soundscape through a variety of instruments, including a fantastic strings section that comes in sharply half way through. Upbeat "Keep the Car Running" is good too. It has a similar big sound--as do many of the songs--but comes off hopeful in comparison to the darkness of "Black Mirror." "Neon Bible," at barely over 2 minutes, feels more like an interlude than a song. It dispenses with the usual bombastic arrangement in favor of a few stringed instruments and a chant-like vocal.

The "break" of "Neon Bible" quickly gives way to the church-like "Intervention," which announces itself immediately with pipe organ. Then this vibrating instrument comes in (I'm not sure what it is, but it appears to be an Arcade Fire favorite, showing up throughout the album), followed by the drums and strings and the big sound is back. "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" reminds me of the New Pornographers, having at first a female lead vocal and then later the male when the song takes a sudden turn. It's an interesting track, dramatic, dark, and romantic. I like that bass guitar gets the spotlight at the beginning of "Ocean of Noise," which has a simpler arrangement (bass guitar would be completely drowned out in most of these songs). Then that same high-pitched vibrating instrument shows up (what is it?).

It's in the next three songs that the album lets me down. None are bad, but they all repeat elements we've heard in the earlier better tracks. "The Well and the Lighthouse" has the same plodding rhythm as "Black Mirror," and it was at this point where the male lead's lack of vocal talent started to get to me. "Antichrist Television Blues" has the similar upbeat feel of "Keep the Fire Running," but is less interesting. "Windowsill" has that chuga-chuga-chuga rhythm, but at least it comes from a different instrument, and I like the use of strings and horns in its second half.

"No Cars Go" is better. Yes that vibrating thing is there, but musically this is a good track. I like the combination of the male and female voices and the symphonic touches. Final track "My Body Is a Cage" is slower, darker, and again features organ, giving it a hymn-like quality.

Neon Bible is a good album, but I don't think it's a masterpiece by any means. I didn't pay much attention to it lyrically (it's just generally not what I do), but what I did hear was pretty dark. The lush soundscapes are interesting, but at times threaten to overpower the music, and too many of the songs have the same plodding rhythm. Where there is variation though, they succeed quite well.

Best: Black Mirror, Keep the Car Running, Intervention, Black Wave/Bad Vibrations, No Cars Go, Ocean of Noise