On the last track now. Supersymmetry.

Apples and oranges.

It's good, really, but I'm loath to compare it to their other albums, other than to say that it's somewhat less anthemic.

It's early but I think I dislike "Flashbulb Eyes" the most. It had a really cool title but the track doesn't really do much for me. There is much higher quality of music on this album.

What is it with the 10 minute '0' untitled track? It doesn't adds a thing to the listening experience. 1 Cd= Happiness 2Cd= Comedown machine

I think it is finally time to give this album a proper fan review. I've given it 4-5 spins now ranging from living room to car driving listenings.

Here we go.......

Disc 1

1. Reflektor: Not much to add to this beast of a tune. We have been discussing it at length for almost two months now so I won't go too much into this one. Easily one of the best singles of 2013. I have a feeling Pitchfork will name it #1 come December. Production wise it is superb and Arcade Fire breaks out it's secret weapon three quarters in with David "Fucking" Bowie. Album is off to a roaring start.

2. We Exist: I hate to sound cliche but that intro bassline does sound like Billie Jean (A GOOD thing!). A nice homage to Michael Jackson. Killer groove throughout the song. Sounds just like it did during their SNL/NBC special a month ago. One of the most straight forward rockers on the album.

3. Flashbulb Eyes: A great song title that I was initially very excited for. The song sounds like a dark voodoo lounge. At this time the song is decent to my ears. Nothing special. I'd like to think Arcade Fire had plenty of better tunes to pick instead of this one. The band said they had over 60 songs.

4. Here Comes The Night Time: One of the highlights from Arcade Fire's SNL/NBC special last month. It's an epic, sprawling tune that goes from beach stroll music to an intense mayhem rush. It took me a couple of attempts to get use to the production of this song after listening to the mp3s from the NBC special a million times by now. Love the piano/keyboard lick throughout the song. Really good lyrics too. A definite highlight on this album for sure.

5. Normal Person: One of my personal favorites on this album. Love the opening remarks by Win, "Do you like rock n roll music? Because I don't know if I do". This tune reminds me of something that could have been on Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps. Fantastic rocker. Once again, awesome lyrics and killer guitar riffs. People keep saying this is a dance record but it rocks pretty hard at times as well.

6. You Already Know: Jonathan Ross introduces this track, it then segues into what sounds like a bouncey game show theme. Very light, jangly guitar shuffle throughout. One of the poppiest things on this album for sure.

7. Joan of Arc: This one explodes out of a cannon with fast punk rock guitar strumming. It then settles into a fun rocker with great key changes and backing singing from Regine. Love the part when she sings like a possessed spirit. So far Regine's vocals have been very minimal. Not sure why. Perhaps it was because she was pregnant during much of the making of this record and wasn't around as much. Who knows. Just guessing. Anyways, love the vibe of this song. Nice way to finish the first half of this double album.

Disc 2

1. Here Comes The Night Time II: The second version of this tune. Vastly different, extremely subtle and produced by Markus Dravs. It reminds me of tracks like Sprawl I (Flatland) and The Suburbs (Continued) from their last album.

2. Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice): At this point of the album we finally run into the Greek mythology characters on the LP's cover. A theme that runs through the rest of disc 2 for the most part. This track has all kinds of cool soundscapes going on in the background. You can really hear the hard work of James Murphy paying off now. About 4 minutes in it sounds like the world is about to explode or the Underworld taking hold of these two lovers Eurydice and Orpheus.

3. It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus): This is the conclusion to the previous songs sad tale of love lost forever. It begins with a wave of glittering sounds beamed straight out of a '80s dance club it seems. Shades of Prince in the first half of this tune. I love Win's singing about 3 minutes. "Seems like a big deal now, but you will get over, when you get older". Another album highlight.

4. Porno: A dark, synthesizer pulse with very seedy undertones. I read a review last week that compared it to College's "A Real Hero (ft. Electric Youth)". That is a very generous comparison. Porno never reaches those great heights but it is a fun, interesting tune that you wouldn't expect from Arcade Fire.

5. Afterlife: An absolute gorgeous tune. Probably the catchiest song on the album. It reminds me of New Order right out of the gate. Think "Bizarre Love Triangle". One of the best choruses the band has ever written. Great lyrics all over this song. I also really like the video they released for this song. It uses footage from the 1959 Palme d'Or winner and Academy Award winning film Black Orpheus. Like "Here Comes The Night Time", it took me a listen or two to get use to the album production compared to the faster, cleaner version from SNL. I can't wait to hear this one live in person.

6. Supersymmetry: This is by far the longest track on the album which clocks in at over 11 minutes long. However, it really isn't that long. The "real" song ends at the 6 minute mark with just 5 minutes of odd studio noises for the rest of the tracks duration. It's sorta like a tamer version of Revolution #9. Something you will probably never really listen to more than once or twice. In terms of the actual song, it is fantastic. A great tune to close the album. Stunning beautiful. Win and Regine share lines, singing about the previous love lost by our Greek couple Eurydice and Orpheus. Some really interesting background pulses, strings and horns going on.

Overall

I give this album an A- rating. It's got amazing production all over the place. Every track has something interesting and different going on. One thing I didn't mention earlier is how great the bass playing is on all the tracks. It was making my car speakers shake and random parts rattle while driving. I haven't really experienced that too often outside some Radiohead albums I have or electronic music I listen to at times.

My highlights (To name but a few): We Exist, Here Comes The Night Time, Normal Person, It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus), Afterlife, Supersymmetry

what were the 3 older songs?

God bless.

Gun to the head: Who is better in the sack? Regine or Sarah?

i still haven't listened to the album....i almost broke yesterday, i actually downloaded the album but didn't listen to it.

God bless.

Gonna give this album a spin today. It's been a long week and I had to give Cut Copy's new album precedence because they are a bit easier to digest in these busy times. Excited to see just how massive and all over the place this thing is.

Sarah was really cute in person. Much better looking than Regine. She was talking to some friends and looked like she's real fun. But I think I'd pick Regine with that little French voice.

Had it on repeat for 2 days now. A really good album! I love Arcade Fire and reckon they'll be around for years producing consistently good to great varied and sonically diverse albums which makes what I'm about to say next basically irreverent...but this is nowhere near as good as The Suburbs