Arcade Fire - Everything Now (2017 album)

3rd song and video is out from the forthcoming album:



Not as good as the first two, but it's growing on me.

 

Berlin gig last night seemed blessed because after endless days of rain there wasn't a single drop.

The show was more a career overview with three new songs and five from "The Suburbs". Much better than playing an album in its entirety nobody has heard yet.

Beak was a great support and Win acknowledged the absurdity of them playing as opener.

 

Based on the strength of the Berlin gig 48 hours ago I did too. Postage? Fok man! But what the heck

 

At Wuhlheide? I almost tried to route my flight home through Berlin but decided against it. Must have been a great show!

 

Just wondered how many people worldwide might feel the need to collect all 21 sleeve variants of "Everything Now"?

 

I'm sure a lot of "day one" Arcade Fire fans are going to hate this album, but I got my hands on a copy and I cannot stop listening to it. Everything Now is fantastic, and front-to-back, my favorite AF album since Funeral. Gone are the slow, even bloated tracks that kinda interrupted the flow of a lot of their other albums. Sure, that theatricality was a major part of Arcade Fire's charm, but it's hard to hate an album that is pure, non-pretentious fun all the way through. The super danceable grooves and intricately layered production make for an equally sweet listen whether you're immersed in the sonics through headphones or just blaring it as you roll down the road. There always seems to be a cool guitar line or synth pokin' out, and of course, massive bass throughout. Side one, in particular, flows as a flawless listen.

"Signs of Life" was a particular treat, with a sound that blended Abba and Funkadelic that I certainly didn't think Win & Co had in 'em! The first "Infinite Content" version was also an immediate highlight -- like the Ramones in a studio with the "Tonight, Tonight" orchestra. That's some classic Arcade Fire for ya.

I'd go on listing more highlights, but it's all good. Going to be getting a lot of mileage out of this one!

 

Any word on when they will be shipping the free copies for ticket purchases?

 

i like what you're saying, but do you seriously not feel like the stuff that's been released so far isn't pretentious? or is it advanced like lou reed and i just don't understand it? please don't say it's the latter

 

The marketing campaign behind it is a little pretentious, yes. And sure, the lyrics are a little self-important. But the grooves are so contagious, I won't give a **** what they're preaching when I see 'em live. This is music made to make you feel good!!

 

i love your positivity. i will keep an open mind until i've had a chance to hear the whole thing. i want to believe.

 

I've been a big fan of Arcade Fire since pretty much day one. I saw them at Lollapalooza in '05, at The Riv in Chicago in '05, and at the Chicago Theatre in '07. I haven't seen them since they jumped to much larger venues, though that's more down to my tolerance for where they've played than their music. I'm finding the pre-release songs all fantastic so far, so much groove (as pointed out upthread), but the marketing campaign is really obnoxious and off-putting.

 

No opinion yet, since I haven't heard the whole thing, but this tweet from Dave Weigel made me a little more cautious:

Dave Weigel‏Verified account @daveweigel
The new Arcade Fire album sounds like the one they apologize for in 2020 when they release the comeback album.

 

I find Arcade Fire (image and music) to be more of an homage to the 80's than pretentious.

 

More simplified than previous releases . Chemistry, Electric Blue and Put your Money On Me pretty much reveal all on their first listens but that could be said of the title track and that has been one of this summer's most infectious songs . We Don't Deserve Love segueing into the slowed reprise of the title track being a initial play personal highlight.
Think Phoenix rather than Springsteen.

 

I really love this album. I much prefer them as a dance pop band than mopey indie rock! "Signs Of Love" just needs some sync drums to be a perfect 70's dance tune, while the opening track sounds like modern-day ABBA!

Seeing them live on the last tour was really a revelation. And though I am trying to ease away from going to live shows, I will definitely see them if they come back to Pittsburgh to support this album!

 

Eh, most music critics are dopes, and that guy cover politics, not music. I wouldn't put any stock into what he says. Remember, critics usually hate music that sounds fun at all.

 

Can't wait for this one. All the songs I've heard so far have been bangers. I ignore the marketing and listen to the groooooves

 

He did also write a pretty good book about prog rock that I just cracked open.

 

come on.

 

Ditch the 2 x Infinite Content's and you've got a very good album..

 

Glad to hear.

 

Right now, I think "Electric Blue" and "Put Your Money On Me" are the only two songs that live up to what I would expect from Arcade Fire. There's some other decent songs here but this album is really knocking Arcade Fire off their pedestal for me. "Chemistry" for example just seems like generic fodder. There's very little evidence left of a great band here. I can't give this album better than 2.5 stars out of 5.

 

You don't like Everything Now?

 

I was an early fan and up until Neon Bible I thought they were great but Suburbs and especially Reflektor put me to sleep with the sound of sameness from song to song one constant drone

 

I haven't cared much for the 3 or 4 songs I have heard so far, but I'll give the whole album a chance. The Suburbs is the only Arcade Fire so far that I have loved, but I really love that one. Maybe that will just always be the major high point for me and I'll keep being disappointed from here on.