Arcade Fire’s march from the fringes of the indie scene, where their captivating live shows made their name a valuable currency, to critical adoration and arena stardom has been one largely free of missteps.
‘Reflektor’, the band’s fourth full-length and the most ambitious piece of work in a back catalogue characterised by ambitious work, changes that somewhat. Arcade Fire have always felt epic, their music possessing a rare combination of head and heart, but here they have pieced together a monstrous collection, one that slinks on disco beats while mainlining a heavy dose of paranoia.
In the time it takes to complete one sitting of ‘Reflektor’, you could spin the first Ramones record almost three times. Its length has been a talking point during the frenzied build-up to release, but even the ceaseless internet chatter hasn’t quite managed to nail just how taxing a journey it can be at times. There are more ideas here than on Emmett Brown’s notepad, but getting to the record’s lightbulb moments requires some patience.
The title track, which has been doing the rounds in various guises since August, is still great, leaping from the speakers with a little help from James Murphy’s jaunty production, and it’s when Arcade Fire surrender to their base desire to get feet moving that ‘Reflektor’ works best.
Here Comes The Night Time is a gem, one heavily influenced by Win Butler’s transformative experiences in Haiti - ancestral home of Régine Chassagne, his wife and co-vocalist - prior to recording, while Joan Of Arc is a beautifully crafted piece of pop music that takes root following a blast of hardcore-influenced guitar. Normal Person spits and sneers, powered by cynical energy and a shot of T.Rex boogie.
The album's second disc is more problematic. Here Comes The Night Time II is a throwaway opening gambit and while Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice) and It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus) have their charms, they act as a gateway into a bloated denouement that can’t balance its competing ideas.
Porno and Afterlife are digressions that flirt with being engaging only to drift into unsatisfying, murky funk. Supersymmetry, the album’s final statement, is haunting and effective for half of its running time, but with almost six minutes of tape noise tacked on at the end it’s another that outstays its welcome in infuriating fashion.
There is a great, perhaps classic, album buried under the layers here and, armed with a pair of scissors, a judicious soul could make themselves a hero to many music fans. As it stands, ‘Reflektor’ is the work of a special band that isn’t quite the knockout blow they intended.
Mon November 11th 2013 - LONDON Roundhouse
Tue November 12th 2013 - LONDON Roundhouse
Fri November 15th 2013 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Sat November 16th 2013 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Wed November 27th 2013 - BLACKPOOL Empress Ballroom
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