The Arcade Fire

I'll start off by saying I'm was never a huge Arcade Fire fan. That's not to discredit them, I think they deserve a lot more play than many of the over-hyped blog bands out there (Cold War Kids, for instance). There's just always been something that's rubbed me strangely about them. Could be the low, Bruce Springsteeny vocals, the usually lacking (IMO) lyrical content, or maybe just the fact that so many a-hole hipsters are obsessed about them. The last point you could probably make about 100 really amazing bands, but there's just something about a few bands where their obsessed fans are especially douche-tastic. I usually refer to it as "The Pitchfork Sneer". That being said, there are a few songs I definitely get into. Many aspects of The Arcade Fire end up being dark and haunting ("Cold Wind"), while a few of the new tracks are jovial and infectiously catchy ("Keep the Car Running"). In fact, on the whole, the new record is strong and (mostly) cohesive. I don't think it's going to change the world and I don't think it should be worshipped like it has been since it leaked months ago, but it's probably somewhere in my top 20 at the end of the year. So take that for what it's worth.

Listen:
Keep the Car Running
[from Neon Bible|buy]
Cold Wind
[from Six Feet Under Vol. 2: Everything Ends|buy]