The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (CD 2007)

A few people really don’t like it when their favourite cult band becomes hugely successful, do they? This is the only explanation I can think of for the negative comments posted about ‘Neon Bible’ because viewed on its musical merits this is a great album.

Arcade Fire step up from the promise shown on ‘Funeral’ to deliver a truly epic CD. The orchestral backing and better studio and production budget has allowed the band’s sound to swell to fantastic heights, best exemplified by the stunning church organ-driven ‘Intervention’.

Throughout, though, the songwriting is of the highest order. ‘Black Mirror’ s a thrilling opener, the title track pulses with intent and the blast of sound on ‘My Body Is A Cage’ is one of the most intense closers I have heard since ‘Good Morning Captain’ on Slint’s ‘Spiderland’ and that is high praise indeed.

Win Butler is not the greatest singer in the world, but his slightly fractured tones lend the songs an air of vulnerability which is in pleasing contrast to the grandeur of the music. Maybe some of the lyrics are not the best, either, but neither are those on countless Pixies songs yet no-one knocks Black Francis for this. If lyrics are your most important thing, go read poetry!

“‘It doesn’t sound like ‘Funeral’”, the detractors whinge. Let them: the true music fan knows it sounds better, bolder and more exciting.