Arcade Fire’s major label debut was conceived upon a platform of marketing gimmicks and consumerist criticism, while simultaneously consisting primarily of half-hearted songs that can be tossed away as easily as they can be ingested.
Everything Now, besides being the album title and the front running single, also serves as the fake media outlet intended to push forth satirical social commentary that is aligned with the album’s conceptual make-up. Though innovative and at times humorous, the whole thing comes off as a bad attempt to excuse themselves from “selling out” by poking fun at it. Which would all be shits and giggles if they were to spawn an album of actual worth. However, Arcade Fire’s new record is conversely made up of the same type of tiresome content and media that they are goofing on.
While the album has its moments of clarity and undeniable grooves, the majority of the album is forgettable and some of it, just plain bad.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a proponent of artists taking new directions during a long spanning career. In fact, I was on the warm side of the polarizing reception of the band’s previous effort, Reflektor.
But when you reach the point in Everything Now where Win Butler is singing “Be my Wendy, I’ll be your Peter Pan” over some cheese ball guitar melody and farting bass line you can’t help but just laugh and think, “What the fuck happened to the band I used to love so dearly?”
See, the only way this album would work in my eyes is if this was all part of the gimmick; a practical joke of sorts. If the album was a brilliant piece of promotional satire put out by Everything Now corp to tease fans who were worried about Arcade Fire’s step into the commercial arena. If the band silently released a new album a week later that lived up to the expectations of the long 4 year wait for new Arcade Fire, then we could all look back on this, wipe our brows and laugh.
Though, sadly this is not the case. But we can still laugh at it via memes, right? After all, that’s what digital consumerism is all about.
- Everything Now:
When you realize Arcade Fire made another dance album
- Signs of Life:
When Win Butler starts rapping the days of the week and faith for a good album begins diminishing
- Creature Comfort:
When you’re like, “Ok, I like this one,” then Régine’s ear-piercing vocals come in:
- Peter Pan
Did this dude really just sing “Be my Wendy, I’ll be your Peter Pan” over some dub style Reggae piano?
- Chemistry:
- Infinite Content/Infinite_Content:
When you realize you’re making some worthless content for a DIY blog:
“iNFinItE CoNtEnt, InFIniTe COnTenT, InFinItElY CoNteNt“
- Electric Blue:
When you were ready to hate the whole album and a song that you actually like comes on towards the end
- Put Your Money On Me
Me: Ok, this album is kind of fun at points, but where is all the real emoti….
- We Don’t Deserve Love
Me: Fuck yes this verse is awesome I can’t wait for the chorus!
Arcade Fire:
- Everything_Now
Why’d you make the rest of it disco tho?
RINSE CULTURE 