Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible"

[SpartanDC]

The most anticipated indie rock release of the year is out... who's got it, and what does everyone think?

I love it, though it took me awhile to get over the fact that I couldn't "reset my ears" from hearing their last album, Funeral, for the first time. That album was a revelation to me and immediately blew me away. But after listening to Neon Bible many, many, many times, I've been able to see it on its own merits instead of just comparing it to "Funeral"... you can only hear a band for the first time once, after all.

Favorite tracks so far are "Intervention," "The Well and the Lighthouse," the re-do of "No Cars Go," and "My Body Is A Cage," but unlike Funeral, there's not a single song I don't like on this album, nothing I can see myself skipping over when I set out to play it from start to finish. It's darker, but also more varied than their previous stuff, but it's 100 percent solid.

My only gripe, and it's minor, is that while the album isn't necessairly overproduced, it does feel a little too "cramped" at times, and the various elements need more room to breathe. I'm guessing this won't be a problem when I see them perform the songs live (note: my first Arcade Fire show was the closest I've come to a truly religious experience; absolutely mind-blowing show).

Overall, though, it's so great to see that Funeral was no fluke. I think this band, in the long run, has a serious chance to change things and influence a lot of musicians for the better.