Everything_Now(Continued):

An exciting start to the record. This is more of a short intro as it only lasts for under a minute and is sombre-sounding. Why the title has an underscore? I haven’t got the faintest clue. Arcade Fire may be asked about it during an interview.

Everything Now:

I know the first track was called the same name with the “Continued” added (Not forgetting the odd underscore.), but this is the title track and the official start of the record, if you will. The lyrics, “Every inch of sky’s got a star, every inch of skin’s got a scar”, certainly jumped out at Me. Yes, the track is quite upbeat, but the lyrics that encase it are cynical. The song may be positive, as mentioned, and the lyrics profound, but the message contradicts the joyful sound with lyrics like, “Every time you smile it’s a fake” and “Stop pretending you’ve got everything now”. It is attacking the dreamers who have yet to achieve their goals in life. The most bizarre thing is that we have a Coldplay-esque sound going on with the piano, strings and a choir, which works quite well, and it’s catchy as fuck.

Signs of Life:

Well, this is very controversial, to say the least, with its sexist views. The story told in this song is about a man who stays out late every night drinking. He thinks that “Love is hard, sex is easy”, as mentioned within the lyrics showing that he would rather shag every woman that comes his way and objectifies them than go through all the hassle of love because he just can’t be bothered with it. There’s a Star Trek/Austin Powers seductive bassline to further add to the effect of the theme, though towards the end, the song goes rather odd as you get some Michael Jackson-inspired instrumental.

Creature Comfort:

Another very dark track is evidenced in these two lyrics, “Some boys hate themselves, spend their lives resenting their fathers” and “Some girls hate themselves, stand in the mirror and wait for the feedback”, all delivered by Win Butler with a raging yet melancholic vocal. This could also be about Win recalling the days when he was bullied at school, and he is drawing on his own experiences with the delivery and the lyrics chosen. Both of these lyrics reflect society and are quite philosophical at the same time. I’ve heard listeners saying they are not fond of this track because it is nothing but patronising as Arcade Fire is wealthy enough not to be concerned with any of the subjects they talk about, but it’s a good track, so I don’t care what they think.

Peter Pan:

Well, just like the theme, the music that accompanies the song is very Disney-esque. It would have been great if Arcade Fire had been around when Peter Pan was first released because the music would have fitted the film perfectly. Win also has been a fan of the film and the book since childhood. He even drops in the twee line, “Be My Wendy, I’ll be your Peter Pan”. This song is also about the innocence of youth and being carefree, which we all crave as we get older because, in Never Never Land, we are wrapped in a safety blanket from all the bullshit we eventually have to face after childhood.

Chemistry:

Different from the Semisonic track with the same name. Again, minus the creepy lyrics, this song would be suitable for a children’s television programme with its pop reggae.

Infinite Content:

This would be the name used for the current tour. I didn’t think much of this track. It is very short and seems like an interlude.

Infinite_Content:

Okay. The same song title as the preceding track, but with an underscore (Why???). Again, not much effort has been put into this track. Either Win ran out of subjects to discuss when this was being recorded in the studio, or he couldn’t get any lyrics to fit around the music. Either way, it feels like another interlude.

Electric Blue:

A track that seems like a nod to the late Prince (Or symbol or whatever you want to call him. I prefer Legend.) Why? Well, with lyrics like, “Cover my eyes electric blue, every single night I dream about you”, you can hear Prince writing a song like this, and the whole feel of the track is very Prince-esque.

Good God Damn:

The riff is a bit of eerie disco. The lyrics suggest this song could be about relaxation, where we feel most relaxed when listening to our favourite record in the bath.

Put Your Money on Me:

I enjoyed this song live. Even though it is over six minutes, it works well live, but on the record? It may be too long.

We Don’t Deserve Love:

Another cracking song played live with Win and his wife Régine complimenting each other well. This track is a bit heavy with its religious undertones and your mother lecturing about the mechanics of love and how you don’t deserve it.

Everything Now (Continued):

It’s just what it is, an outro with an easy-listening string section to close out the record. This track is nearly two minutes and thirty seconds longer than the intro.

Overall:

Hmmm, well, I did enjoy the record, but I prefer hearing the band live. Arcade Fire has it when they play live, but I need clarification on the studio-recorded material. It can be pretty condescending, sexist (Which is bizarre considering there is a lady in the band, and that’s Win’s wife Régine) and heavy-handed with subjects of suicide, cynicism and religion. But that is the world we live in, and we should respect Arcade Fire for not being fake and addressing such sobering issues. Like Muse, though, I feel that Arcade Fire save their best for the stage. It’s quite a shame, as I was looking forward to reviewing this record, but I have been disappointed. If I did live reviews, then Arcade Fire’s review would be stellar.

7/10