"Reflektor" by Arcade Fire
Fans of Arcade Fire need not read this review. Go ahead and buy the album because you will like it.
However, if you are on the fence, this is a good album to get started on. "Reflektor," or Arcade Fire in general, is one of those albums you'll need to listen to a few time before you begin to like it. This might be a deal breaker for some, especially considering the album is an hour and a half long; but stick with it and you might find your musical horizon broadened.
Arcade Fire shows their very own broad musical horizon on the first disc. They blend their own musical style with the sound of the Caribbean. This is achieved through use of a conga and steel pan drums.
This sound in no way inhibits Arcade Fire's original sound and does not come to prominence in their work. The cultural sounds in disc one adds a textual layer that supplements their already unique work. The cultural diversity within the music lends itself well to the lyrics.
Lead singer Win Butler sings of the clash between diversity and individuality with those in the status quo. His lyrics are highly relatable to all those who feel as though they have been social outcasts. Those unable to relate to this, meaning those doing the social ousting, will find out how you were making that kid feel when you were giving him wedgies in the elementary school locker room after gym class. I'm talking to you Chad... Disc two switches direction and the message.
The story quickly switches to a tale of lovers, unrequited love and recovery. Arcade Fire pulls from the ancient Greek tale of "Orpheus and Eurydice," using images of cold and death to display the how the singer's mind has been left barren from heartbreak.
In a sudden cold snap, Arcade Fire kills off any tropical sound that could have been found in the first disc. Synthesizers come into prominence on disc two, helping to create ambient sounds and creating heavy heart-rhythmic beats.
Arcade Fire provides no solutions or outcomes in either disc to the issues presented, giving listeners something to ponder on.
"Melophobia" by Cage the Elephant
Melophobia is the fear of music. However, Cage the Elephants' new album "Melophobia" shouldn't inspire fear of their own music.
Actually, this album name seems kind of dumb. Why would you imply your music will instill fear into your listeners? I doubt that will build a large fan base. Anyway, the instrumentation in "Melophobia" can be described as heavy and dirty.
Cage the Elephant goes in a new direction in this album by playing chaotically. The album skips back and forth between soft, gentle songs and dark, crunching rock songs that shake the roof.
The song order seems a bit bipolar, but doesn't come off as out of order. New in this album is the use of a saxophone and trumpets from time to time. These brass instruments help add to the feeling of chaos by playing harsh notes and fumbling around the scale as if the musician were drunk, throwing in off-key notes and screaming to throw listeners off their toes.
It's odd to say that an album is both dark and upbeat, but Cage the Elephant pulls it off well. Lead singer Mathew Shultz has a habit of writing lyrics that question many aspects of our society. He follows that trend in "Melophobia;" however, many of the concepts he points out seem ill-defined and are lost to ambiguity. It's obvious the points are there, but they don't stick out as much as it did in their self-titled first album. Other statements made in the album that are clear come off as platitudes and forgettable.
Lyrics also stomp around on the topics of love and women. This is typical of most bands; however, these songs are much darker when done by Cage the Elephant on this album.
The love songs, if you could call them that, are dark, confident and casually associate death at certain points. This is in huge contrast to their previous albums, where love songs where the pathetic and sappy "why don't you love me" trope. The album ends with a chaotic breakdown of songs that has become tradition in Cage the Elephant albums.
Bound to be the highlight for some, Cage the Elephant always bows out of their albums in true rock star fashion.
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