After what seems like a lifetime and a pandemic obsession, Arcade Fire has finally released a new album! With the excitement of a new record also came the disappointment in learning that Will Butler left the band after the recording of the album. I’m seriously super bummed about that. But anyway, here’s my thoughts on We.
There’s not much variation in the names of the songs, but you can hear slight distinctions between them. For instance, “End of the Empire” is the name of “two” tracks, but it technically contains four parts. I can see why they were grouped together both musically and lyrically, but they show as one name on the album. Speaking of “End of the Empire,” this was not my favorite effort off the album. The whole piece was a little too slow for my taste and didn’t really seem to offer any of the signature flair that Arcade Fire is known for. But hey, something different! I felt similarly for “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” which was clearly meant as a roadmap for Win Butler and Regine Chassagne’s son.
Alternatively, “Unconditional II (Race & Religion)” was much more upbeat and catchy. I found myself singing along with the chorus pretty quickly. This track is also unique in that I think it’s the first time another artist has ever been featured on an Arcade Fire album. It’s a little less surprising that the guest vocalist was Peter Gabriel since both he and the band covered one of each other’s songs in the past…but still, new. A similar style was utilized in the two opening tracks, “Age of Anxiety I & II.” Let me tell you that these songs are winners! Both have similarities in the tune, but get there in different ways. “Age of Anxiety I” is one big crescendo, but by the time it gets to the end I promise you’ll be moving. “Age of Anxiety II” sort of just gets you there from the outset.
The bands lead singles, “The Lightening I & II” have grown on me since I first heard them a month or so ago, but “The Lightening II” still has the edge for sure. Rounding out the album is the title track, “We,” which is a much more stripped back offering, both instrumentally and lyrically. It’s emotionally raw and although it’s not my favorite from the record, it’s sure one I think I’ll be coming back to in the future. Overall, this album is something that I think will have to grow on me over time and repeated listens, just like Reflektor and Everything Now.
I found it really interesting how this album manages to seamlessly flip between intense techno influenced jams to their classic instrumental sounds of the past. At a glance I would tell you that this album reminds me more of Funeral and Neon Bible, but at the same time it’s equally influenced by Reflektor and Everything Now. I don’t know that the band will ever produce anything quite like The Suburbs again, but We is almost as cohesive as that record was. Both remind me of sprawling soundtracks, but this one is more geared towards the tragedies of our current world. For instance, “End of the Empire IV (Sagittarius A)” spends its time knocking down the bias within social media to the background of a simple piano. Kind of powerful.
All in all, if you like any of Arcade Fire’s previous work, I promise you’ll find something to love off of We. I also hope some of you get the chance to see these guys in their brief stadium tour towards the back half of the year. I think I’m going to hold out and cross my fingers they make it somewhere closer next year.