New Review of Arcade Fire

At first listen, it is easy to get swept up in the grand orchestral sound of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. The front man Win Butler and his wife Regine Chassagne's sophomore album does sound in a big way, with every instrument under the sun incorporated from the pipe organ to the hurdy- gurdy. Arcade Fire's strong point is in provoking  the exasperation and anger that every semi-conscious person who has stopped and taken a look at the state of affairs has had and stretching and padding them until they reaching a bursting point along with every crescendo that comes with almost every track on the album. However, at second listen, once one is able to regain a rational mind and able to sparse out Butler's lyrics, one begins to see that his lyrics are often carried away by the sound. In a song that does little in the way of lyrical talent like"Black Mirror," he sings " I walked down to the ocean/after waking from a nightmare/ no moon/no pale reflection/black mirror,black mirror." Although the music is undoubtedly beautiful and grandiose, the overwhelmingly melodramatic and at times apocalyptic lyrics leave you hopelessly melancholy and suspicious. A word of advice; do not listen to Neon Bible before 9 a.m, it will have you seeing the signs of the end of the world everywhere, eyeing your local Barista to make sure he isn't spiking your coffee.