Arcade Fire - Everything Now (July 28,2017) Album • Page 12

Spent some time with the album. I absolutely adore the title track so much now, it really is one of the best songs of the year.

But a lot of clunkers. Unfortunately.

"Electric Blue" is a gem.

 

It's definitely not as good as any of their first three, that's for sure. It's a weird record. But at the same time, this is kind of the album I've always wanted them to make? Just a quick record where it sounds like they're having some fun, and trying some things out. Not everything has to be this enormous undertaking.

Peter Pan and Chemistry are not nearly as bad as anyone is making them out to be. Are they all-time great Arcade Fire songs? No, but that doesn't make them bad. The standards by which this band is measured is absolutely insane sometimes. And I'm not trying to excuse them if they have a clunker, which they definitely have in the past. But this is just... a good album. Not great, not a classic, just good. It won't be in my top five at the end of the year, and it definitely didn't strike me emotionally in the same way their work has in the past, but I'm absolutely enjoying it. And that's enough for me.

I don't know, maybe I'm easily pleased.

 

On first listen, I like the title track, Creature Comfort, and We Don't Deserve Love. Everything else is pretty forgettable.

 

I actually don't hate this, which is surprising considering I was expecting to. Much like comic book movies, Arcade Fire seems to be something I don't quite "get"/follow enough, so what I like from them (brevity, accessibility and straightforwardness) seems to be what actual fans don't like. Like, the singles were actually my least favorite part about this. I thought everything after "Creature Comfort" was more or less solid.

Idk, it's not going to make my EOTY list or anything, but I guess I just appreciated that this wasn't an hour-plus listen plagued by filler. It was easy-listening, it felt familiar. Strange how that works.

 

Arcade Fire: Everything Now Album Review | Pitchfork

whoever said p4k would be underwhelmed was right

 

Hahah @ p4k finally being too cool for AF

 

Peter Pan sounds like an unfinished Vampire Weekend song.

 

Well despite my best efforts the critics have dampened my feelings about this one. As a fan but not a diehard I've decided to give this one a few listens first rather than just buy it outright. To be honest I had reservations about Reflektor as well but the exceptionally positive reviews (especially the 9.2 from Pitchfork) convinced me to buy it blindly. Even a 7 from Pitchfork and I'd likely have done the same with Everything Now. Wonder how many others are in a similar boat?

 

Even though I love most of this album I had to laugh at this accurate part:

"the record falls off a cliff with the painful dub-synth disaster “Peter Pan,” a song so starchy and grooveless it seems impossible they could write anything worse. Never mind that they do write something worse with “Chemistry,” the sound of Billy Squier pouring warm milk over the concept of reggae."

 

I tried another listen, and this still isn't doing anything for me. Such a bummer.

 

I don't think it sounds like they're having fun at all. I think Pitchfork was pretty accurate in calling it "joyless."

 

Ha, this is objectively funny.

 

holy shit

 

Chemistry is so fucking bad what is this

Creature Comfort really bothers me

 

I'm diving into this. Only listened to the singles on the days they were released. The title track is still really good.

 

i think I would listen to Put Your Money On Me if I were in the right mood for it, it's kinda nice to sink into if not all that interesting. the back half of this kinda loses my attention

 

This is the problem, I think. The second half is mostly free of the egregiously bad songs, but is also kind of a snooze.

 

Everything Now - It's pretty good. Not much more I can say.

Signs of Life - I like this one but it's pretty repetitive. Really enjoy the sax towards the end.

Creature Comfort - That bass line/tone is wonderful. I figured this would end up being my favorite track on the album. Would probably be super fun in a live setting. Digging the overall theme as well, especially verse 5.

"We're the bones under your feet
The white lie of American prosperity
We wanna dance but we can't feel the beat
I'm a liar, don't doubt my sincerity"

Peter Pan - Ok I actually kind of love this song. Enough to want to play it again before I continue.

Chemistry - Probably the first Arcade Fire song I can say is just flat out bad. I hope this is the low point. Though not quite as bad as some people were saying.

Infinite Content - Well, "Chemistry" is not the low point. This sucks. It sounds like the intro to a Disney Channel/Nick show. Also the production hurts my ears?

Infinite_Content - Not as bad as the above, but why? I will say I enjoy the track itself. They could have written an actual song over this beautiful instrumentation but instead they repeat these highly grating lyrics.

Electric Blue - This sounds like somebody threw an MGMT demo, the theme song to "Beverly Hills Cop", and a shitty vaporwave song into a blender and then threw up in it. I can't wait for this song to end. Might be the most annoying song I've heard all year.

Good God Damn - This is smooth but it feels really bland and almost unfinished.

Put Your Money On Me - Really like this. Sounds like a classic Arcade Fire song. Musically, every choice they made is the correct one. It's quite detailed. Catchy chorus as well. Pretty fucking great.

We Don't Deserve Love - Meh.. It sounds pretty. I'll give it that. Works well enough

Everything Now (continued) - Sounds pretty beautiful. I do think the little "loop" it sets into motion is pretty clever.

edit: fixed a bunch of stuff, apologies to anyone who read this in the first few minutes hahaha

 

Peter Pan fucking rules haha

 

i think alot of the hate for this record is super unwarranted but i can see why chemistry would make alot of people mad

 

I'll end up putting "Put Your Money On Me", "Peter Pan", and "Creature Comfort" on a playlist but I probably won't listen to this in full ever again.

 

agree. i think it's stems from not being up to par with the previous four and their roll out antics. I don't like Peter Pan and Chemistry but enjoy the rest.

 

sooo, peter pan sounds alot like bright eyes jejune stars.

 

You sum up my thoughts on it pretty much. Let's be honest, at this point in their career they only need to have a few tracks to add to the setlist on any given night and I think they accomplished that.

 

holy wow electric blue is sooo good