Canada
Arcade Fire or the search for the “we” feeling
Where is Arcade Fire going? Photo: Maria Jose Govea/Sony Music Entertainment/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
For some loyal admirers, Canada’s number one band Arcade Fire has to make up for it with the album “We”. Because the predecessor had split the fan community with Abba echoes.
The first major sign of life from Arcade Fire after almost five years was promising: The single “The Lightning I, II”, released in mid-March, not only sounded as anthemic as in the best times of the Canadian stadium rockers, the song was also full of new videos accompanied by awakened power.
In the end, frontman Win Butler braced himself against a hurricane, the band smashed their instruments. Pandemic frustration was probably looking for an outlet – but maybe also the will to reflect and make amends.
Can the new studio album “We” reconcile those fans who left the arcade fire flag after “Everything Now”? Because this record, released in 2017, had the early band following with Abba quotes and references to Daft Punk disco pop – i.e. admirers of the indie rock masterpieces “Funeral” (2004), “Neon Bible” (2007) and “The Suburbs” (2010 ) – partly badly disappointed.
The fact that “Everything Now” again occupied socially critical topics and, like its predecessors in the USA and Great Britain, easily conquered number 1 in the charts, was almost lost in the grumbling.
Sixth studio album
“We”, the Grammy-winning sixth studio album that has been eagerly awaited around the world despite everything, pulls out of the affair respectably without removing any doubts about the course of Arcade Fire. The band, which founding member Will Butler allegedly recently left without a dispute, does a lot of things right in their seven pieces, some of which have several parts – or better than with the obtrusive commercial pop bonds five years ago. Nevertheless: The pre-single is ultimately the best song on this record.
Instead of the influences of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid from Sweden, you can now hear other, more familiar classic rock role models: Bruce Springsteen (“The Lightning I, II”), David Bowie (“End Of The Empire I-IV”), Kate Bush (“Age Of Anxiety I”), Talking Heads (“Age Of Anxiety II”), Peter Gabriel (who even sings along in “Unconditional II”). There is also some 80s keyboard bombast and dancefloor flirting, but it’s manageable.
Win Butler and his wife Régine Chassagne came up with some beautiful melodies and empathetic, also politically inspired lyrics in the corona lockdown for the almost 40 “We” minutes. The scaled-down band looks completely renewed after the long separation caused by the pandemic. And having longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich pulling the strings in the studio alongside the Butler/Chassagne couple certainly didn’t hurt the sound.
Is the old magic returning?
However: The feeling of witnessing a rock sensation like in the early years of Arcade Fire, the creative chaos of the conspiring bunch of musicians from Montreal, this whole bustling anarchy are again missing on the record. Perhaps the inescapable magic will return in live performances soon. Current concert videos, for example from a gig in New Orleans, and the surprise appearance at the famous Coachella festival in April at least give an idea.
In any case, the frontman was confident in one of the few interviews about “We”. Win Butler told his hometown newspaper, the Montreal Gazette, “I’m really proud that we’re still getting it done. And I’m very excited for the future.”
In view of the pandemic, this was not a sure-fire success. “We didn’t know when it would be possible to get the band back together,” said the singer. “We were very inspired and focused, but the world we wanted to make this record for had changed a lot.” At barbecues around the campfire, Arcade Fire would have regained their band chemistry. You can actually feel that in the new songs – even if “We” as a whole may not be a new career highlight for the Canadians.