By: David Schultz

Since exploding in the aftermath of the success of Funeral, their debut album, Arcade Fire became the art-rock band of choice for the literati and cognoscenti; with their sophomore effort, Neon Bible, the friendly Canadians are about to belong to the world. They are trying their best to cling on to their connection with their audience, previewing the album in intimate venues in London, Montreal and New York City.

If TV On The Radio are channeling the heady days of David Bowie, Arcade Fire are keeping his artsy side alive. Funeral sprang from the feelings of loss in the aftermath of the death of band members' relatives. While Neon Bible doesn't present a happier, sunnier Arcade Fire, it does have them living them in the moment, even looking forward into the uncertain abyss of the future. In typical Arcade Fire fashion, they seem bewildered and quite frightened by what they see.

Although they keep the strings and horns that dotted their initial release relatively restrained on their latest, they are no less grand or spacious. Instead they are more prone to use mandolins and pipe organs than guitars. Given their relative absence, the shuffling upbeat guitars of "Keep The Car Running" are more pronounced than they might be otherwise. Rather then revert to traditional instruments or arrangements, Arcade Fire emulate the Radiohead philosophy of keeping things fresh by trying something novel. The music is only half the story. Never straying into trite pop aphorisms, the lyrics remain true to the album’s general theme. Even though the Quebecois will slip in an unnecessary French phrase or two, the power of "Windowsill," "Intervention" and "Antichrist Television Blues" remains undiluted.

Neon Bible thrives on Win Butler's earnest sincerity. With many of the songs in a lower register than those on Funeral, Butler seems able to put more feeling into the vocals, wringing out every bit of emotion. His wife, Regine Chassagne, shares the vocals, getting a sassier feel with her energetic delivery. While many CD's seem to frontload the disc with the best songs, Neon Bible saves them for the end. With its Eighties-style sheen, "No Cars Go," a rerecording of a song that's been in the Arcade Fire repertoire for a while (live video), explodes in modernized new wave frenzy. "My Body Is A Cage," with Butler singing of the corporeal restrictions inherent in human existence over the funereal strains of an organ, closes the album uneasily.

Many artists become overly ambitious with their sophomore release and Arcade Fire are no different. Unlike many of their predecessors, Neon Bible seems to reach their lofty aims without drenching the result in pretentiousness. Much of Neon Bible possesses a low level sturm und drang, but by not overpowering the mix with unnecessary drama, Neon Bible carries off its weighty momentous intentions with an understated brilliance.

Labels: Arcade Fire