Album Rating: 2.6

Age of Anxiety I is just so bland eehhhhhhhh



Not huge on the t/t either but I do respect what it's going for

Album Rating: 2.6

The whole end of the empire stretch is p dire but IV is certainly a low point

Album Rating: 3.3

I kinda like the beginning of End Of The Empire, but the later parts are terrible. The title track is one of my favorites on here for sure, along with the first half of Lightning. Both Unconditionals are pretty good too.

I really wanted this to be the big return to form but it's just ok

Album Rating: 3.0

I don’t know what you guys are on I thought this was really enjoyable

Album Rating: 3.5

This is good. Fuck the cynics who are too stuck on The Narrative to just enjoy the music. I really think the reception would be more positive had this been the follow up to Reflektor. Insofar as some are probably just relieved this isn’t as actively bad as Everything Now it’s apparent to me that that one created a certain passive attitude for a lot of people who don’t seem committed to the act of listening. It’s a bit ironic because yeah, the band themselves (or at least Win) are also too stuck on The Narrative, and it shows - I just think they still happened to create some generally enjoyable music regardless.

Album Rating: 2.0

Right yeah this is pretty bad.

Album Rating: 3.0

I thought end of the empire was cool too

Album Rating: 3.0

Part 1-3 that is. 4 is a bit how ya goin

Album Rating: 2.6

"It’s a bit ironic because yeah, the band themselves (or at least Win) are also too stuck on The Narrative, and it shows - I just think they still happened to create some generally enjoyable music regardless."



Good take tbh

Album Rating: 2.5

Boney - yeah, I don’t see this as too far from Neon Bible to my tastes - some people seem to be comparing it more to Reflektor but I see it more trying to recapture the grandiose big statement of Neon.



I always found Neon Bible a bit clumsy and overreaching, heavy handed, and yes with some clunky lyrics. Neither this nor Neon have the magic of Funeral. I also prefer the lighter touch Suburbs and the glossier (but patchy) Reflektor



1. Funeral (4.5)

2. Suburbs (4)

3. Reflektor (3.5)

4. Neon Bible (3)

5. WE (3)

6. Everything Now (1.5)



Neon Bible I really liked five tunes (Keep the Car, Intervention, Ocean of Noise, No Cars Go and my favourite Black Wave/Bad Vibrations) and similarly I like about five songs here a fair amount too (maybe to a smaller degree) - the rest of the stuff on both albums I’d rate about a 3 out of 5, nothing terrible

Album Rating: 2.6

I think I like this more than reflektor but I'd have to relisten to reflektor to be sure which eeehhhhh

Album Rating: 2.5

Reflektor is messy as fvck, gems to be found though

Album Rating: 3.0

Dont get the hate for Age Of Anxiety I, it is great opener.

I think this is better than people think- but it's weird to me that Butler has this continued preoccupation with doing the "we live in a society" schtick bc he clearly already did it on "The Suburbs" with as much nuance as he's capable of

People seem to have this continued thought that the Arcade Fire lodestar is "Wake Up" when it was actually "Rebellion (Lies)"

Album Rating: 3.0

Lightning I and II, and WE are great tracks. Needs more of that here.

Album Rating: 2.5

This is a great review and perfectly articulates what rubs me the wrong way about this record (and the band in general in recent years). The third and last paragraph especially hit the nail on the head. Some lyrics here are just too much I find it hard believe they're supposed to be taken seriously.

Album Rating: 2.0

I thought Everything Now was abysmal. Sad to see they haven't improved much :/

kind of weird how this band went from like talking about society and existential sort of dread and just indie shite in general, played guitars, and were this sort of moody rock band essentially. and then they went full on pop-dance shite,

If you're going to do dance stuff the beat has to be good and you have to know how to make (perform/write) beats and arrange songs. The problem isn't the change in direction it's that they suck at it, kind of similar to Opeth's change to dad/prog rock, to be honest. Though Opeth got closer to their idea and at least as of their last album, are pretty distinctive in their sound, while this band sounds more generic.