Neon Bible

Average Rating:	(See all reviews)
Label:	Merge Records

• Almost three years after the Arcade Fire's 2004 full-length debut, FUNERAL, stunned indie-rock fans with its majestic scope and romantic ferocity, the Montreal-based ensemble returned with NEON BIBLE. Although the album lacks the from-out-of-nowhere punch of the former record, it serves as a fitting successor, with the group's sweeping sound enhanced by even more prominent layers of piano, organ, strings, and percussion.
  
• As on FUNERAL, married multi-instrumentalists Win Butler and Regine Chassagne share vocal duties, and their distinctive singing adds to the emotional weight of each song, from the urgent, bass-heavy "Keep the Car Running" to the brooding, cinematic "Black Waves/Bad Vibrations." And while the Arcade Fire's post-punk influences are still on display, they are more fully integrated into the band's ambitious aesthetic, as best evidenced on the lush, nearly operatic update of "No Cars Go," which originally appeared on its '03 EP. With its cathedral-like grandeur kept in check by the group's restless energy, NEON BIBLE features both slowly revealed charms and immediate thrills, easily making it one of the most impressive albums of early '07.
  

Rolling Stone (p.108) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Top Albums of the Year 2007" -- "A seven-piece band that makes joyous noise out of fear and foreboding."

Spin (p.85) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "NEON BIBLE actually matches the live show's scope and emotion....It feels carefully considered yet uncontrived, a bubbling mix of raw confusion and refined conviction."

Entertainment Weekly (p.105) - "[T]he polyphonic swirl of strings, horns, and voices points toward transcendence." -- Grade: A-

Q (p.107) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] magical kingdom of noise that's equal parts Disney's FANTASIA and Echo and The Bunnymen's lavish OCEAN RAIN."

Alternative Press (p.182) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A]n effortlessly creative offering running from upbeat jangle-pop to understated, stripped down arrangements..."

Magnet (p.90) - "Arcade Fire's raw passion and heartfelt ambition remain intact....An undeniable flame still burns."

Q (Magazine) (p.89) - Ranked #01 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007" -- "[G]reat records are made by great songs, and NEON BIBLE has riches aplenty..."

Producer:	The Arcade Fire
Format:	CD (1 Disc); Stereo
Country:	USA
Quantity Available:	23
UPC:	673855028521
Studio/Live:	Studio
Release Date:	6 March 2007