Well, the day has arrived. Arcade Fire has entered the arena, laced up, and is ready to enter the ring. Without any further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Reflektor…
Disc 1:
“Reflektor”
If there has been one moment in my life that I have regretted knowing the insane left-turn a band was about to take, surely “Reflektor” is it. What was supposed to be a grand reveal — one of the greatest “WHAT THE EFFING EFF” moments of all-time — turned out to be, well, merely a great track. MERELY A GREAT TRACK, PEOPLE. Anyway, “Reflektor” is full of dancey-vibes and grooving grooves. In the end, though, Win’s still obsessed with technology and Regine’s still singing in French. The world is still spinning, everybody.
“We Exist”
Holy shit! It’s the bass line from “Billie Jean”! If the last track didn’t make you want to dance, you’re dancing now (if it did, you’re probably still getting down… only a little geekier). Win’s falsetto sounds pretty great at the disco as well, but the “Us V. Them” brand of lyrics he’s spitting out don’t.
“Flashbulb Eyes”
Say bye-bye to the disco and hi to the jungle. And to the noises. And to the camera. On to the next track, please.
“Here Comes the Night Time”
I don’t want to start every track description with “HOLY EFF,” so WHOA. “Here Comes the Night Time” finds Arcade Fire plummeting out of the bushes and into the reggae. There’s a pitch-bending synthline, a couple of tempo changes, and one mother of a beat. So far, this one takes the cake.
“Normal Person”
Oh no! Win’s talking! And he hates rock music! And then Jack White shows up! I mean, I guess if you collaborate with Insane Clown Posse, Arcade Fire is the next logical step. This track is the most “normal” rock-sounding track so far, and strangely the least Arcade-Fire-ish.
“You Already Know”
Who is Arcade Fire? The Beatles?
“Joan of Arc”
Holy crap! Gary Glitter! Except, well, cool. Regine does some pretty snazzy French stuff, and Win’s all-in on the group chanting. The guitars are as straightforward as the track is one-minded, and it’s mind is set on pumping you the eff up. Awesome chorus to boot.
Water Break:
This is technically a double-album so let’s take a break and review what the first half of Reflektor has established:
1. Arcade Fire give zero shits about what you thought you knew about “Arcade Fire.”
2. That’s it.
Disc 2:
“Here Comes the Night Time II”
Reminds me of “Suburbs (Continued)”. Pretty good buildup, and a nice change of pace from the first half of the record, actually. But it’s not anywhere near their best part two.
“Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)”
The record’s first ballad! Also, the first time a song felt over-long, and over-repetitive.
“It’s Never Over (Hey Orpheus)”
This is a groove, and a pretty neccessary slap to the face after that last sleeper. Win Butler just stole your basketball — wake up! Regine sounds AMAZING on this track.
“Porno”
I’m not going to lie: this is the track I was most excited for. Unfortunately, Win Butler singing “little boys at the porno / makes me feel like there’s something wrong” in falsetto isn’t the worst part of this worst track.
“Afterlife”
YES YES YES! “Porno” may have been hell but this is the real afterlife: a big joyous romp with saxophones where the big questions get asked, but we’re too busy dancing to answer them.
“Supersymmetry”
Sure it sounds pretty, but does it need to exist?
Post-Bout Recap:
Well, Reflektor is a mess — but I wouldn’t call it a flop. The great tracks here are year-end worthy, while the bad ones (and most of the lyrics) make me want to crawl into a cardboard box and get kicked down the stairs. But, there’s obviously a lot of material to sift through here and I’m sure in two weeks I’ll be at odds with nearly everything I’ve written here tonight.