Once more unto the preach

The Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible is undoubtedly the most eagerly awaited sophomore effort since The Strokes’ Room On Fire, and possibly the most anticipated album by a major rock band this side of Kid A.

Indeed, there are further similarities between Radiohead and The Arcade Fire – both made their names with an especially passionate brand of anthemic rock and, perhaps precisely because of the two groups’ unabashed emotionalism on record and in concert, they have both proved exceptionally popular with Irish audiences.
Set for March 2 release, the 11-track collection was produced by The Arcade Fire themselves and largely recorded in a church outside their Montreal base, with guest contributions from Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett, Calexico’s Martin Wenk and Jacob Valenzuela and Wolf Parade’s Hadjii Bakara. The album largely picks up where Funeral left off, with heartfelt, soaring rock the order of the day, although there is a more expansive sound this time round, with the group at different points utilising hurdy gurdy, pipe organ, a military choir and a full Hungarian orchestra.
hotpress has heard Neon Bible in its entirety and is pleased to report that the album is a more than worthy successor to The Arcade Fire’s landmark debut. Featuring several songs that build from slight beginnings into towering orchestral crescendos, the record is a powerful and affecting piece of work that will be something to behold in a live setting – which means that those Dublin dates in March (which open their European tour) are likely to be truly rip-roaring affairs. The full track-by-track rundown is:

‘Black Mirror’
The first single and one of the best tracks. With the ominous title repeated as a refrain throughout, the band conjure an atmosphere of foreboding and paranoia as Butler unleashes lines like: “Black mirror knows no reflection/Cares not for your dreams/Their names are never spoken/The curse is never broken”.

‘Keep The Car Running’
A future single that strongly recalls ‘Born To Run’-period Springsteen and has the kinetic energy of ‘Neighbourhood 3 (Power Out)’. Clocking in at a precise three-and-a-half minutes, the song has Butler intoning: “Every night my dream’s the same/Same old city with a different name/They’re coming to take me away/Don’t know why but I can’t stay”.

‘Neon Bible’
A short (2 mins 15 secs) but sweet acoustic number that harks back to the graceful majesty of ‘Haiti’. “Not much chance of survival with the Neon Bible” Butler sings over plaintive guitar notes. A tender track that nicely balances out the album’s noisier moments.
‘Intervention’
Opens with dramatic church organ before building into a classic Arcade Fire soundscape of strings, drums and choral vocals. Butler has clearly been ruminating upon some weighty issues, as images of war and religion dominate the track: “Working in a church while your family dies I can taste your fear/Gonna lift you up out of here”.

‘Black Wave/Bad Vibration’
As the title suggests, this song comes in two parts; the first a fast paced piece with intermittent synth swells, the second a thumping, percussion heavy composition with celestial backing vocals.

‘Ocean Of Noise’
An appropriately titled track that features a roaring crescendo resplendent with strings and brass. Initially a quiet, melancholy tune built around mournful guitar and forlorn piano notes, Butler soon picks himself off the floor and defiantly declares “We can work it out” over the musical fireworks.

‘The Well And The Lighthouse’
Archetypal AF stormer featuring keyboard interludes and soaring strings. Abruptly shifts into a slower tempo towards the finish, with spacey, psychedelic sound effects to the fore.

‘(Antichrist Television Blues)’
Does what it says on the tin. Energetic strummer with a lyric describing a night-time trip through the city. An excellent tune – utterly inexplicable parentheses in the title notwithstanding.

‘Windowsill’
Hypnotic slice of acoustica which opens with the lines “Don’t want to hear the noises on TV/Don’t want the salesmen coming after me”. Also sees Butler repeating the refrain “Don’t want to live in my father’s house no more”. “Haunting” is probably the word.

‘No Cars Go’
A reworked version of a track from The Arcade Fire EP, ‘No Cars Go’ is a duet between Butler and Chassagne. The finale – a full-on choral and orchestral swell – is nothing short of overwhelming. Will sound incredible live.

‘My Body Is A Cage’
Opens with church organ and muffled beats, over which Butler sings the brilliant lines: “My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love/But my mind holds the key”. Once again builds to a spectacular climax, with the singer repeating “Set my body free, set my spirit free”. It’s a fittingly grand conclusion to a wonderful record by one of the most exciting bands around.

Neon Bible gets a live airing at the Olympia, Dublin on March 5 and 6. Read about the Arcade Fire ticket controversy pages 14 - 15.