Neon Bible

Neon Bible proves that The Arcade Fire is a unique band

A question of post-first-success record importance is a classic subject in disputes if a band has the true talent or it is just a bright contingency. Having their debut album released in 2004 the musicians of Canadian indie band The Arcade Fire most likely didn’t expect themselves what an effect it will produce on the musical community. Funeral received a huge number of enthusiastic reviews, owing to this album the band has spotted on television and in press, The Arcade Fire was headlining major festivals and finally received Grammy. Even now, two and a half years after, Funeral sounds as a very strong debut. So, there is absolutely nothing surprising in the fact that every person from a newly born The Arcade Fire’s fan army was impatiently awaiting for the continuation. And the musicians tried to live up the expectations. The Arcade Fire’s new album Neon Bible is a sufficiently weighty claim for the status of a unique band. And while the songs from Funeral carried a bit spontaneous character, the material they represent now is much more confident and thought out. Leaving melancholy and a somber atmosphere on the basic positions of their music The Arcade Fire go on developing and exploring a direction, the most fitting term for which could be baroque pop rock.

Neon Bible was recorded in the century-old church

Such a description may seem weird for those who have never come across The Arcade Fire’s music before but how else one can convey a songs in which church organ and the strings are used as the basic instruments, the entire atmosphere is soaked with theatrical drama and lyrics with bitter, vice exposing words. Such songs as Intervention or My Body Is A Cage demonstrate this part of the band’s creative works in the brightest way. When listening to this saturated with emotions, eerie compositions you really can imagine how pop music could sound somewhere in 18th century. However, one can’t say that every song of the album strives to fit in this concept, the most interesting songs can probably be referred to indie rock standards; pay your attention on (Antichrist Television Blues) or Keep The Car Running, these are great and beautiful rock songs. Despite that fact that the majority of Neon Bible’s tracks deserve a separate attention it is absolutely necessary to mention No Cars Go – the longest and probably the most grandiose track of the album. And though the song is not a new one, it gains new and fresh appearance due to the context of the album.

Neon Bible is cold, grand and epic

The Arcade Fire try to develop the ideas of their first album in terms of sound too. The album sounds mystique and otherworldly. And this has nothing to do with the matter of frequent usage of such “unpopular” instruments as pipe organ or minor chords – quite the opposite, major is not uncommon here, the core thing lies in the overall sounding of the album – cold, grand and epic. This can be heard on Funeral but it became expanded on Neon Bible. However, despite the unusual sounding The Arcade Fire still have some features characteristic for modern indie scene. Like many other bands The Arcade Fire work with music in the album format better that with detached songs. Taken out of the context they run the risk to lose their fragile atmosphere, but as one whole they gain an extra power that makes you play the record again and again. Neon Bible is obviously a successful album; it has everything that attracted public’s attention on Funeral, plus fresh ideas and professional approach. The Arcade Fire is not a band that needs looking for its face in the tangles of styles and genres, they have their precise view on music and the way it should be represented, and Neon Bible serves as the best proving for that.