Arcade Fire - Everything Now (July 28,2017) Album • Page 15

Can we report bands for trolling their fans?!

 

Gotta say though on twitter there is a sense,at least imo, that a lot of critics are really savoring trashing this album. Which really rubs me the wrong way. Mind you, I felt like it was trending this way prior to the fake stereogum review. All AF has ever done was put out 3 great (some would say 4 great) albums, and yet they are being treated pretty harshly. I am all for honest critiques of records. And this record deserves the middling reviews.....but I could do without the rest.

 

the internet echo chamber strikes again.

this album really isn't that bad.

 

Yeah but it really isn't that good either.

 

I know I said Chemistry isn't that bad after my first listen, but I might need to take that back.

I still love Peter Pan, though.

And both Infinite Content songs need to go.

Then it's a pretty strong record.

 

It turns the album into a tuneless slog.

I mean, can you blame them? There's definitely a sense in the music writer community that you can't give negative press to massive releases, at least at those big publications. Did you follow the MTV News thing? I think they've been waiting for a high-profile album that really justified the red pen. So there's definitely a pile-on mentality, but I don't think it's dishonest really. I just think this album really is that bad, and Arcade Fire was smug and annoying enough leading up to the release that they were sort of asking to be taken down. My hope is that the negative reviews shake them awake and inspire a course correction.

(And for the record there are still a lot of positive reviews for this.)

 

I actually like this album. It's not as bloated as Reflektor was, but Reflektor's highs are definitely better than the highs here. It doesn't hold a candle to their first 3 albums, but they set the bar pretty high there.

Also, I don't think Chemistry is as bad as it's made out to be. Not a good song, but not the abomination it's made out to be. I also enjoy Peter Pan.

 

Yes I can blame them. It makes them look sophomoric and childish. I'm all for negative reviews. Like I said, this album is pretty middling and deserves the middle of the road reviews it's getting. But seeking joy in tearing a band to shreds? A band that has basically only given us great music? Please. Spare me your pity for music critics.

 

I don't think anyone is taking joy in it. I didn't. The guy who wrote the Pitchfork review didn't. Chris from Stereogum didn't. Our disappointment is real because we love those first three (or four) records. You're asking people to go easy on the band because they made great music in the past, which is counter to the purpose of a music critic. Music writers should feel the freedom to be honest about what they think--even if the record in question is one that is too big to fail.

 

Not asking them to go easy. I have voiced that I don't care for the album outside of a handful of tracks. I am saying there is an underlying sense of glee in the words I have read in reviews and on twitter posts that seems off to me is all.

 

There's probably a little bit of that from people who have never liked the band and have been waiting for the consensus on them to turn, but that's not the overarching feeling I've gotten from the reviews I've read.

 

So this isn't a good album for me to start with then? I dig the lead single.

 

Well I respect your opinion.

 

It's by far their worst album. The only way I'd start here is so you know they go drastically up in the quality department.

 

I'd start with Funeral

 

I don't think this isn't nearly as bad as some people seem to. I like Peter Pan, my only complaint is the vocal delivery falls a little flat. Chemistry isn't my favorite song, but it doesnt bother me honestly. It kind of gives me a vibe of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk, just way more modernized.

I think Electric Blue is a ton of fun, and I still love the title track. I think punk rock Arcade Fire is a blast (Infinite Content).

The last few felt like pretty typical Arcade Fire to me, if not a little bit boring. I should probably note that the only album of theirs I'm really familiar with front to back is The Suburbs. Other than that I've listened to each a couple times but only really know a few from each, so maybe I just didn't have as high of an expectation as long time fans of the band might. I've heard far worse albums this year.

 

I think when all is said and done, this will get about a 7 from me. Which is about the same as Reflektor, or a tad lower. As messy as that album is, not a song on this comes close to any of the highs that album has.

 

When I first played it, I felt like I was listening to a b sides breakfast club soundtrack. It's a very summery pop album. It's not undigestable but it feels like I could be listening to about a dozen bands. It feels like it was made for playing festivals and carpool sing alongs. I don't mind it but I have to be in a certain mood to put this album on specifically. Overall I'd give it a 7/10, seems like that's a popular score.

 

Hated the singles, gave the album a shot and I honestly don't know why I bothered. It's all so BORING. There's no sense of cohesiveness whatsoever, and the best song (easily Creature Comforts) is Reflektor b-side material. Absolute train wreck of an album. I expected better from a band as talented as Arcade Fire have shown themselves to be, but it seems they're all up their own asses too much for any course correction.

Also: Peter Pan, Chemistry & Infinite Content are jointly the absolute nadir of their career. I had to take a break in listening to the record because I hate them all an eye-popping amount, AND THEY'RE BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK. Take the person responsible for sequencing this Arcade Garbage Fire and shoot them into the sun. Fucking abysmal. Glad I spent yesterday bumping A Black Mile to the Surface instead of going back to this. Wish I could unhear it. I still heavily fuck with their stuff up to The Suburbs, and Reflektor makes for a pretty good EP if you condense it to a single disc, but this album can fuck the fucking fuck off. FUCK.

 

I don't hate it but it's easily their worst and some of it annoys the shit out of me. Shame because Creature Comfort had me so excited for this one.

 

I already like the album a great deal more than I initially did. The only 2 tracks I HATE here are "Chemistry" and "Peter Pan". Everything else I either love or like just fine. "Infinite Content" is filler, but I've heard worse filler.

 

Going through this now. Peter Pan is actually pretty good! Kinda feels like they overthought the arrangement but it's probably my favorite song to this point on the album. Genuinely shocked by the level to which Chemistry is so incredibly bad. It's a joke, right? Infinite Content reminds me of the suburbs in that musically it has a lot in common with what I loved about them at one point but I just don't fuck with the smugness of their lyrics. I know their shtick is pretty tongue in cheek, so I imagine irl Win Butler is a reasonable dude. But, like, his smartest person in the room lyrics ("society, man!" to quote p4k) are fucking exhausting.

Surprisingly this put me in the mood to listen to them more for the first time in a while and it's funny how literally all of the good material on Reflektor is relegated to disc 2 save the title track. Imo, there's a case to be made that if you cut the album down to just disc 2 + that song that it's their second best. Disc 1 is like truly bad though (imo!).

 

"Here Come the Night Time" though! That's one of my all time favorite AF songs.

 

Well I certainly don't think this album is terrible. But there's not a ton to love either. Sigh.

Needs more like Put Your Money on Me.

 

Yea "Pur Your Money on Me" is great. Grown on me a ton, been stuck in my head for the last day