Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

The Arcade Fire somehow make a church organ and an accordion sound cool and hip on their latest album Neon Bible, a follow-up to their 2004 critically acclaimed Funeral.  Think of sounds that echo Bowie, U2 and perhaps a little bit of Bruce, then throw in a little Talking Heads and you’ve almost ignited what is the essence of Arcade Fire, but not quite.  They stay true to their own unique indie pop/rock sound on Neon Bible, which may lead some to think they “played it safe” by not experimenting a little more. To a degree, this is true, especially in the religious themes explored, much like the dreary undertone felt throughout Funeral, only nowhere near as dark. A heightened level of maturity in the lyrics and themes tackled show a band determined to prove that they’re here to stay.

I can’t quite decide which album is better. Neon Bible definitely flows much better as a whole and is almost intended to be listened to in its entirety. Funeral, however, has much stronger individual songs that aren’t quite topped on their latest album such as Rebellion, Wake Up, and probably their best yet Neighborhood 3 (Power Out). Neon Bible can also feel a little bit boring with some songs sounding extraordinarily similar, for example the beat on The Well and the Lighthouse, Antichrist Television Blues and Keep the Car Running (although their similarities are highly forgivable, as the latter two are two of the best songs featured on the album).

No Cars Go vaguely reminds me of Wake Up, only much more upbeat with its alluring drums. Some might remember No Cars Go as one of their first LP’s; although, this reworked version is much better and stronger than the original.  As opposed to the “Children, wake up. Hold your mistake up” youthful and hopeless innocence of Funeral, Neon Bible is slightly cryptic with its haunting melodies and extensive religious imagery, especially on Intervention, which begins with an evocative and powerful organ: “I can taste your fear. It’s gonna lift you up and take you out of here. And the bone shall never heal; I care not if you kneel…And when you finally disappear, we’ll just say you were never here.”

The gripping and atmospheric Ocean of Noise may be slow paced, but it still knows how to pack a punch. It’s also as close as the Canadian band has gotten to a “ballad” of any sorts for the time being. This passion-driven number has lead singer Win Butler declaring “You’ve got your reasons and me I’ve got mine. But all the reasons I gave, were lies to buy myself some time. I’m gonna work it out.” Ocean of Noise is in my opinion a hidden gem on the album that is in the shadows of powerhouses such as Keep the Car Running (which is as close to Power Out as we can get for now) and Intervention.

Another possibly underrated song is Antichrist Television Blues which is easily reminiscent of Springsteen during his early years.  With well crafted lyrics and driving melodies, Arcade Fire shine on this sophomore album with quality songs that deal with larger than life topics.