Arcade Fire: Reflektor (2013)

Critics often don't agree. It's interesting to compare and contrast the Rolling Stone review of this release with the Allmusic review.

From Rolling stone: "...Reflektor is closer to turning-point classics such as U2's Achtung Baby and Radiohead's Kid A – a thrilling act of risk and renewal by a band with established commercial appeal and a greater fear of the average, of merely being liked."

Compare that with the bizarre review over at Allmusic: ..."but what ultimately keeps Reflektor from sticking the landing is bloat. The stylistic shifts, courtesy of LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, aren’t nearly as jarring as the turgid and Tiki-colored, almost seven-minute “Here Comes the Night Time,” the six minutes of rewinding tape that serve as the coda for the otherwise lovely “Supersymmetry,” or the unnecessarily drawn-out fountain of white noise that should seamlessly connect the Gary Glittery “Joan of Arc” with the Flaming Lips-ian “Here Comes the Night Time, Pt. 2,” but doesn’t because the songs are on separate discs."

Anyway, I think Reflektor is a fine album.

The Reflektors [Arcade Fire: Reflektor b/w Reflektor (Instrumental)] (2013)

I really don't believe that commenter on Youtube who says: "My dead cat can produce better tracks." To that cat, I say "bring it!" This 12" single was released in advance of Reflektor, the full album. It's a great track.

Arcade Fire adopts a fake band persona as The Reflektors, and I wonder how many people were taken in by the fake track listing on the jacket. I didn't think much the video, wherein one had to hold up an iPad to the computer screen, but the real video is quite good.