My Music Monday

Arcade Fire has a new song out - and a new album on the way.  

Yay? 

After what I consider a disastrous release almost five years ago with Everything Now (and still ranks as one of my worst music purchases ever, and for full disclosure, I once bought a Basia album!), I figure the band has nowhere to go but up. 

"the Lightning I, II" is ok. As the title suggests there are two parts; and they are distinctive from one another, but from other music?   Ehhhh.  Mind you, I've only had two listens. 

Of course, I compare their music to their own previous works. No one is quite like Arcade Fire, and their first three albums (and part of their 4th) had some amazing songs and arrangements on them. It was innovative, it was fun, it was sing-a-long-able.  I'm not so sure about that with this song. 

I saw their Reflektor tour - and that concert ranks up in the top 3 live performances I have seen in my days. 

"the Lightning" is a preview for their new disk, WE, which is out in a month or so. I think (?) I learned my lesson and will preview the disk before I order it. I won't pre-order it.  I won't pre-order it. I won't pre-order it.  Blobby, reread the sentences you just wrote! 

Long time member, Will Butler, brother of band leader Win, just left the band after the album was recorded and he doesn't appear (I hear......as I couldn't pick him out of a line-up) in the video below. 

Is "the Lightning" better than anything on Everything Now?  Sure, but so is dead air.  But I still cringe a little whenever Régine Chassagne sings anything that isn't firmly in the background - and while it's only a line or two here, I feel my back start to go up. 

I'm guessing this isn't "the sell" to get you to hit play. But perhaps you can tell me something I'm missing - good or bad.