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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2010 16:43:41 GMT
haha.
You just knew that arcade fire were ambitious to the point where they will play the game and sterilize their music to put more bums on seats. I predicted this the second I heard Neon Bible. I have also predicted this about the National, I would say dig this thread up but we'll probably be on the soapbox volume 47 by then but yeh, thats my gut feeling.
Had a few listens now, I don't think it's terrible, it's just very uninspiring. They've really not got much to say nor enough musical ideas to warrant it's length in the slightest.
I could hear Dancing In The Dark as well though a failed attempt on the whole and I'll tell you why. When Kings Of Leon, U2 or Springsteen made these steps that Arcade Fire are attempting (I.e, to move away from being an 'alternative band' & break the mainstream, to have people who don't buy records buy your records) they all managed enormous anthems, the sort that even your mother will know, the sort that will put bums on seats in huge arena's or even stadiums.
It's so damn obvious to me that Arcade Fire have really tried so damn hard to come up with a Dancing In The Dark, a Where The Streets Have No Name or even a Sex On Fire but they've totally failed as they don't have it in them to write these kind of songs that the every-person can buy into. Of course they will do their biggest tour yet this year/next year, 3rd album of a band who have had so much said about them from the start will always achieve this but it will be a million miles away from what they were aiming for with the Suburbs.
Sure somebody can always bring up the fact we are Oasis fans but the difference is Oasis came out from the very start and said we're gonna be the biggest band in the world & came up with dozens of stadium filled anthems to back their claims. They didn't hide behind the 'look at us aren't we interesting & different' mask only to try to be u2 a few years down the line.
It's such a shame that this will be the album that gets talked about the most in 2010 when it's nothing more than half decent.
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Post by william on Jul 28, 2010 16:54:40 GMT
dude the national are mega.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2010 17:03:44 GMT
Bill, I can see into the future, you will thank me one day.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2010 19:09:48 GMT
Axl, you couldn't of read my post properly. I said, it's what they've attempted but failed.
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Post by abs on Jul 29, 2010 14:15:04 GMT
It is a disappointing album but I don't see how it's a reach for the mainstream. I'd say their other albums contain a more "radio friendly" songs and if any album was a reach for the mainstream I'd say it was Neon Bible. Stuff like Intervention, Keep the Car Running, My Body is a Cage etc seem much more geared for radio audiences than the likes of Rococo, Modern Man and Deep Blue. Even We Used to Wait doesn't sound like it's been written for the radio at all.
Yeah there's a few where you could say that, City with No Children, Half Light II, Sprawl II and Month of May but they've always written some songs like that.
I think they've decided to make a "concept" album about the suburbs which firstly has been done to death about a million times, secondly is a bit of a dated concept anyway and thirdly has hemmed them in much more than their previous albums. Also I think they've made a conscious effort to tone down the bombast after Neon Bible, which in theory was a good idea but they've gone a bit too far and a lot of it just sounds a bit listless.
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Post by monkeytennis on Aug 1, 2010 16:01:21 GMT
haha. You just knew that arcade fire were ambitious to the point where they will play the game and sterilize their music to put more bums on seats. I predicted this the second I heard Neon Bible. I have also predicted this about the National, I would say dig this thread up but we'll probably be on the soapbox volume 47 by then but yeh, thats my gut feeling. Had a few listens now, I don't think it's terrible, it's just very uninspiring. They've really not got much to say nor enough musical ideas to warrant it's length in the slightest. I could hear Dancing In The Dark as well though a failed attempt on the whole and I'll tell you why. When Kings Of Leon, U2 or Springsteen made these steps that Arcade Fire are attempting (I.e, to move away from being an 'alternative band' & break the mainstream, to have people who don't buy records buy your records) they all managed enormous anthems, the sort that even your mother will know, the sort that will put bums on seats in huge arena's or even stadiums. It's so damn obvious to me that Arcade Fire have really tried so damn hard to come up with a Dancing In The Dark, a Where The Streets Have No Name or even a Sex On Fire but they've totally failed as they don't have it in them to write these kind of songs that the every-person can buy into. Of course they will do their biggest tour yet this year/next year, 3rd album of a band who have had so much said about them from the start will always achieve this but it will be a million miles away from what they were aiming for with the Suburbs. Sure somebody can always bring up the fact we are Oasis fans but the difference is Oasis came out from the very start and said we're gonna be the biggest band in the world & came up with dozens of stadium filled anthems to back their claims. They didn't hide behind the 'look at us aren't we interesting & different' mask only to try to be u2 a few years down the line. It's such a shame that this will be the album that gets talked about the most in 2010 when it's nothing more than half decent. posts like this are precisely the reason i will never leave this forum (in all of its myriad incarnations) |
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Post by barny on Aug 2, 2010 15:44:33 GMT
I've never cared too much about Arcade Fire so my opinion is as objective as it can be, as I can't compare it at all to their previous efforts. It's a half nice half dull record, way to long. From what I've read they've stripped down their sound to avoid a cold grandiose album and they've gone too far. Mahoney's got a point, although I think it's not exactly that they try to sound commercial, but they've made a conscient move towards the mainstream. Sure they will catch the spotlight with this album, but it doesn't matter if it's good or not.
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nsp
Junior Member
Posts: 65
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Post by nsp on Aug 2, 2010 20:35:47 GMT
haha. You just knew that arcade fire were ambitious to the point where they will play the game and sterilize their music to put more bums on seats. I predicted this the second I heard Neon Bible. I have also predicted this about the National, I would say dig this thread up but we'll probably be on the soapbox volume 47 by then but yeh, thats my gut feeling. Had a few listens now, I don't think it's terrible, it's just very uninspiring. They've really not got much to say nor enough musical ideas to warrant it's length in the slightest. I could hear Dancing In The Dark as well though a failed attempt on the whole and I'll tell you why. When Kings Of Leon, U2 or Springsteen made these steps that Arcade Fire are attempting (I.e, to move away from being an 'alternative band' & break the mainstream, to have people who don't buy records buy your records) they all managed enormous anthems, the sort that even your mother will know, the sort that will put bums on seats in huge arena's or even stadiums. It's so damn obvious to me that Arcade Fire have really tried so damn hard to come up with a Dancing In The Dark, a Where The Streets Have No Name or even a Sex On Fire but they've totally failed as they don't have it in them to write these kind of songs that the every-person can buy into. Of course they will do their biggest tour yet this year/next year, 3rd album of a band who have had so much said about them from the start will always achieve this but it will be a million miles away from what they were aiming for with the Suburbs. Sure somebody can always bring up the fact we are Oasis fans but the difference is Oasis came out from the very start and said we're gonna be the biggest band in the world & came up with dozens of stadium filled anthems to back their claims. They didn't hide behind the 'look at us aren't we interesting & different' mask only to try to be u2 a few years down the line. It's such a shame that this will be the album that gets talked about the most in 2010 when it's nothing more than half decent. posts like this are precisely the reason i will never leave this forum (in all of its myriad incarnations) Yes, great post. Alot of these bands of the 2000 irritates the hell out of me, for alot of different reasons. Remember seeing Kings of Leon back when they released their first album, they looked really good, massive beards and looked the part. Then the second album came out and they looked like they came right out of a fashion magazine. The music was still good but that also changed over the years (in my opinion). But there is something fake about them, and when the frontman in Soundtrack of our Lives said they were the worst band they ever toured with, being posers with guitars, I can totally believe that. But the worst thing are all these bands hiding their influences, like Interpol and Bloc Party. I might have ranted about this before, but the greatest thing about being an Oasis fan and listening and reading their interviews was Noel talking about the bands he liked. All the creation bands, The Jam, The Smiths, New Order etc. Oasis was at least honest, and they got alot of shite because of it. When Bloc Party said they had not heard of Gang of Four that's just laughable, but in the end it's mostly cowardly. And had these new bands had the balls to talk about their influences, perhaps the Chameleons reunion wouldn't have been totaly ignored. The "post-punk" revival was one of the worst thing last decade. I'm just ranting here:-) I don't dislike the new Arcade Fire, have listened to it twice and it was enjoyable. But to compare it to OK Computer is stupid, as it doesn't take any risks at all. It's a nice sounding album, and that's ok. |
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Post by titchjuicy on Aug 2, 2010 21:14:43 GMT
There's some phenomenal bollocks being spoken in this thread
About 8 listens in and it's getting better and better...it works better as an album than either of the the first two, plus it has BIG tunes too (ready to start, modern man, empty room, city with no children, suburban war, month of may, sprawl II).
I love the way the album's bookended by the two versions of suburbs..the first being a big, confident, optimistic sounding pop tune, the last feeling like a thoughtful lament on all that's gone before. The whole concept of the album is excellent too- the lyrics are just starting to make sense and sink in and it's so listenable as a story too.
It's definitely best listened to in one go, but i truly think most of the tracks stand out alone.
The tunes might sound more accesible, but they're certainly not weaker as a result- if this is the sound of band selling out, then I wish more bands would. Comparing it to sex on fire is hideous.
I adored funeral as much as the next person (2nd favourite album of the last ten years), but i think this is almost as good, and a whole lot better than neon bible (which i also love).
9/10
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Post by titchjuicy on Aug 2, 2010 21:23:50 GMT
oh, and sprawl II might just be track of the year
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Post by rbbrslmn on Aug 2, 2010 21:39:55 GMT
oh, and sprawl II might just be track of the year its the worst thing on it, musically its just cliche after cliche after cliche, I dont know how anyone can hear it and not feel insulted. |
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Post by rbbrslmn on Aug 2, 2010 21:45:47 GMT
referring to any kind of music as a cliche is a bit daft rubber, no? not when the song is constructed entirely from cliches. I'm not against them, and have no problem with a bit of cheese on the top of a song from now and again, but this song has overdone it by about 30seconds in. and then gets worse. "quit those pretentious things and just punch the clock" FUCK OFF its like an image of the world through an eee bah gum set up north monty python sketch. was regine this shit when she sang in french but we just didnt know it? |
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Post by Columbia_rocks_man on Aug 2, 2010 22:12:32 GMT
havn't even bothered to download it. the new single was crap, the last album was frankly atrocious and the front man has taken to speaking in interviews like his opinion on the world somehow matters.
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Post by titchjuicy on Aug 3, 2010 7:59:38 GMT
referring to any kind of music as a cliche is a bit daft rubber, no? not when the song is constructed entirely from cliches. I'm not against them, and have no problem with a bit of cheese on the top of a song from now and again, but this song has overdone it by about 30seconds in. and then gets worse. "quit those pretentious things and just punch the clock" FUCK OFF its like an image of the world through an eee bah gum set up north monty python sketch. was regine this shit when she sang in french but we just didnt know it? it's hardly all cliche is it eh? it's a big old fashioned perfectly constructed pop song- it's not entirely original, but tbh what is? Oasis entire career was a cliche |
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Post by barny on Aug 3, 2010 10:16:27 GMT
Not really
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Post by rbbrslmn on Aug 3, 2010 12:14:56 GMT
it's hardly all cliche is it eh? 9/10  get new ears fella. had a look on metacritic and this mediocrity is getting 9/10 across the board from music magazines. I'd be hugely surprised if opinions on this board were unrepresentative of the world at large, which re-inforces the notion that all journalists gutless cunts. |
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Post by titchjuicy on Aug 3, 2010 12:22:30 GMT
given it a couple more listens today, and it's magnificent, it really is.
It pays to listen to a decent copy, and through decent phones, or a decent system at home, cos some of the instrumentation gets lost otherwise. On my home cd player it all sounds a bit muddy and dull, but through my earphones it's spectacular.
it'll come to you, persevere chief.
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Post by abs on Aug 3, 2010 12:43:29 GMT
Hmm. It has grown on me a bit and it's gone from being mediocre/dull to generally "good" and borderline acceptable for a band who'd previously got my hopes up so much in the past.
I don't think it's a reach for the mainstream like some have said, yes there's a couple of U2-ish tendencies on there but the same could definitely be said about their last album too. I think any band which by definition makes big grandiose music like Arcade Fire always have done will always run the risk of having U2-ish moments. I don't think though writing what is an effect a concept album about The Suburbs is a reach for the mainstream, especially seeing a lot of it sounds quite introspective.
All in all it's been said repeatedly but it is just overlong. Wasted Hours and Deep Blue wouldve been better as B sides for one. Half Light II is fantastic though, Empty Room has grown on me big time (I hated it at first), Suburban War is absolutely lovely although think it maybe doesn't need that final bit at the end, The Suburbs and We Used to Wait are both really good too.
Sprawl II has really divided opinions, I've seen people hate this song, love this song, some people who hate the album but think this song is great...I think it's alright. On it's own it wouldnt win any awards but it fits in really nicely at the end of the record.
Anyway 7/10. Looking forward to hearing how some of it sounds live as they really do take their songs several steps up on the live stage.
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Post by rbbrslmn on Aug 3, 2010 12:47:21 GMT
it'll come to you, persevere chief. thats true of almost any album thats been well made*, the more youlisten the more you'll like it, if for no other reason than familiarity *not muse though. |
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Post by titchjuicy on Aug 3, 2010 13:05:00 GMT
it'll come to you, persevere chief. thats true of almost any album thats been well made*, the more youlisten the more you'll like it, if for no other reason than familiarity *not muse though. lol amen to that  |
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