Friday, August 17, 2007

Reviews 17/08/07

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible


"The Arcade Fire are the best band in the World," Coldplay's Chris Martin once said. Just keep churning out the albums and you'll be like Bono one day, pal. As for the Arcade Fire. The toughest assignment; Following up to their groundbreaking debut, "Funeral".

So many bands' in The Arcade Fire's position would have signed a huge record contract with a major label, as an increase in money, fanbase and fame would have all been at their doorstep. Not The Arcade Fire, though. It's business as usual and "Neon Bible" is your typical no nonsense sophomore album that stamps this band's authority in today's music scene.

Although many will say this has reached the peaks to that of its older brother, "Neon Bible" falls a little short to be honest. Highlights include single 'Keep the Car Running', the brooding giant that is 'Intervention' and the melodic driven 'The Well and the Lighthouse'.

"Neon Bible" is a great record and the indie ethos shown by The Arcade Fire is living proof that the Montreal collective are all about the music and nothing more. Not even Chris Martin's sweeping statements could derail this fine band.

8.5/10


Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City

Another NME hype band. Another sophomore album. You can just hear the alarm bells ringing. So many bands' have faltered at this stage of the journey, but it's safe to say that Bloc Party aren't one of them.

"A Weekend In The City" posses the traits that Bloc Party built their success on with their debut opus, "Silent Alarm". Although the band's overall sound fails to transcend that of its younger brother, the lyrics and music work well enough to gain reputable praise from music lovers a like. 'Uniform' is vintage Bloc Party playing to their strengths, while 'I Still Remember' is a perfect example of a bright young band in red hot form.

This really is a continuation of goodness for the London four-piece, creating an album that you can listen to from front to back without any trouble whatsoever. Out of all the bands NME get sticky between the legs with, Bloc Party are the most interesting and I don't think any one's ever really doubted that. They string together some brilliant, riffs and rhythms while Kele Oreke's lyrics have that certain sense of ambiguity about them, that make this lot just that little bit more interesting.

7.5/10
Simon K

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